The connection between jazz enthusiasts and budding young Cuban musicians radiates in the 2023 documentary Musica!
The 34th edition of the New Orleans Film Festival kicked off at the historic Prytania Theatre with Musica! on Thursday night. For this year’s festival, they collaborated with Oscar-winning directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, who brought their passion project to the heart of New Orleans.
“We’re really thrilled to be here because part of the film takes place in New Orleans,” Epstein said. “We had a life changing experience playing with musicians here, and we’re excited to show the film here.”
Over the course of five years, Musica! follows four young Cubans who view music as a way of life. Through music, they hope to find success and fulfillment, some choosing to remain in Cuba, and some seeking to venture out into the world beyond. The film includes their visit to New Orleans in 2016 with footage at Preservation Hall and the Jazz Museum.
Epstein and Friedman teamed up with Horns to Havana, a nonprofit headquartered in New York City. This organization is dedicated to donating instruments, providing repairs, offering training and education, and facilitating cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Cuba. Embracing the improvisational and exploratory nature of jazz, their goal is to realize the dreams of aspiring young musicians and strengthen cross-cultural ties through a shared love of musical traditions.
“This film is about the importance of music and art in people’s lives and how it can give meaning and purpose to our lives, and you can really see it in these young musicians who are so devoted to their craft. There are great connections to Cuban music and New Orleans music, and we try to reflect that in the film.” Friedman told WGNO.
The Oscar-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the American Southeast, serving audiences numbering upwards of 30,000, hosting as many as 500 filmmakers, and providing cash awards and prizes valued at over $150,000. In 2022, 93% of the lineup came from submissions.
Musica! showcases the incredible ability of music to overcome geographical, political, cultural, linguistic, and temporal barriers, as observed through the experiences of young jazz enthusiasts in Cuba. I couldn’t recommend watching this one more!
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