In 1996, music producer Ry Cooder traveled to Cuba to record some of that country’s former greats of traditional music. Most had fallen on hard times as a result of the Castro government’s shutdown of night clubs. Aging and without regular employment, they nevertheless had preserved their talents and enthusiasm for Cuba’s pre-revolution music. Cooder assembled the recordings into a Grammy-winning CD, introducing the world to a vibrant culture that had been almost forgotten. He then recruited German film director Wim Wenders to create this delightful documentary showing recording sessions interspersed with interviews and shots of Havana street scenes. It was released in 1999 and nominated for an Academy Award. 
John Stewart is a retired software developer with degrees in biology from the University of Michigan. He is not a movie maven, but he enjoys films with a foreign touch and believes this one will appeal to Elderwise cinema lovers.