Synopsis

¡Musica! is a film that follows the lives of four young Cubans whose lives are defined by music, over the course of five years. Each of them dreams of success and self-realization through music—some choose to remain in Cuba, while others decide to explore the wider world.

Program Note

This film begins with the nonprofit arts organization “Horns for Havana,” which has been donating instruments and musical supplies to Cuba’s prestigious Amadeo Roldán Music School for over a decade. Based on the deep bond between the students and Horns for Havana, the documentary follows the stories of four students aspiring to pursue careers in music. Set against the backdrop of Cuba’s modest yet soulful landscapes, the highlight of the film is the final scene where the students visit New Orleans. With a thoughtful perspective, ¡Musica! beautifully reminds us of the magic of music that connects people. (Choi Eun-young)

Director

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  • Rob EpsteinRob Epstein
  • Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning filmmakers who have been creating groundbreaking works for over 35 years. In 1987, they founded their own production company, Telling Pictures. Their debut film Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), which tells the story of the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., won both an Academy Award and an Emmy. Their other notable works include The Celluloid Closet (1995), which explores 100 years of queer representation in Hollywood and won an Emmy, and Paragraph 175 (2000), about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, which earned them the Best Director Award at Sundance. End Game (2018) was nominated for an Oscar, and Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) won a Grammy.

• 
  • Jeffrey FriedmanJeffrey Friedman
  • Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning filmmakers who have been creating groundbreaking works for over 35 years. In 1987, they founded their own production company, Telling Pictures. Their debut film Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), which tells the story of the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., won both an Academy Award and an Emmy. Their other notable works include The Celluloid Closet (1995), which explores 100 years of queer representation in Hollywood and won an Emmy, and Paragraph 175 (2000), about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, which earned them the Best Director Award at Sundance. End Game (2018) was nominated for an Oscar, and Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) won a Grammy.