On Thursday, February 1st, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series continues with the Montana premiere of the new documentary from Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, Musica!. The film screens at 7pm.
Friedman and Epstein have become treasured musicologists, first with their loving biography Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) and then with Taylor Mac’s 24-decade History of Popular Music (2022). Now, they turn their cameras towards Cuba, profiling four students at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Though it has long been the nation’s most prestigious music school in a music-crazy nation, the conservatory struggles to maintain instruments for their students. Enter Horns to Havana, a New York-based initiative that brings parts and instrument-repair expertise to the island. Epstein and Friedman spent four years following four recipients of Horns to Havana instruments: Kevin, Lili, Rodrigo and Dariana. Though they come from widely divergent backgrounds, each shares a driving ambition to grow as a musician, even as daily life in Cuba becomes more challenging.
Musica! world-premiered at the recent Telluride Film Festival.
“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 said.
“Joyful… an intimate portrait of some remarkable formative talents.” – Mill Valley Film Festival
Upcoming Doc Series screenings include Food Inc. 2 on Feb. 15th and Swan Song on Feb. 29th. See host website for additional details.
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other week through April. •
