Calle 54

Acclaimed as one of the very best motion pictures ever made about music, the vibrant Calle 54 offers an incredible behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of Grammy Award winner Tito Puente and some of the greatest Latin Jazz artists of our time: ranging from Brazilian bombshell keyboardist Eliane Elias and enigmatic Argentine tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, to the fiery rumba group Puntilla y Nueva Generacion, as well as Cuban pianists Bebo and Chucho Valdés, who were separated by Fidel Castro's revolution and are reunited before Trueba’s lens in one of the film’s most touching scenes. Whether it's created in hot backstreet clubs or recording studios from Miami to Havana, the Bronx to Andalusia, the pulsating sounds of Latin Jazz capture the heart and soul of an entire culture. Showcased in a series of extraordinary performances, Latin legends use their immense musical talents to weave an innovative tapestry of sound, style, and rhythm that becomes a passionate celebration of life.

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Direction: Fernando Trueba

Script: Fernando Trueba

Cinematography: José Luis López Linares

Editing: Carmen Frías

Actors: Gato Barbieri, Cachao, Michel Camilo, Paquito D'Rivera, Chano Domínguez, Eliane Elías, Jerry González, Chico O'Farrill, Patato, Tito Puente, Puntilla, Bebo Valdés, Chucho Valdés

Production: Fernando Trueba P.C., Cinétévé, SGAE, Arte France Cinéma

Producers: Cristina Huete, Fabienne Servan Schreiber

Executive producer: Laurence Miller

Format: DCP

Color: Color, B&W

Production Country: Spain, France

Production Year: 2000

Duration: 106'

Contact: Fernando Trueba PC

Awards/Distinctions: Best Feature Film – San Diego IFF 2001, Audience Award – Miami FF 2001, Best Sound – Goya Awards 2001, Outstanding Television Documentary – ALMA Awards 2002

Fernando Trueba

Filmography

1980 Ópera prima
1992 Belle Epoque
2002 El Embrujo de Shanghai
2010 Chico & Rita (co-direction)
2023 They Shot the Piano Player (co-direction)