INTERNATIONAL OFFICIAL SECTION
European Premiere  

In the Dominican Republic, bachata is more than a musical genre: it is a vital heartbeat, a refuge, and a mirror of the soul. The new documentary by Frank Pavich (Jodorowsky’s Dune) takes us on a coming-of-age journey at the Bachata Academy, the only school in the world dedicated to this rhythm. Under the mastery of guitarist Mártires de León, a group of young musicians learns to channel their wounds, heartbreak, and the harshness of poverty through bachata. An observational film that shuns interviews and embraces pure lived experience, capturing over the course of 5 years the melancholic beauty of an art born in the street in an intimate and deeply human portrait that transforms tradition into an unforgettable life lesson. 

Cast: Edickson García Disla, Frandy Direze, Orianny Bonilla, Yerian Castillo, Mártires De León, Carmen Bonilla, Jose Castillo, Natividad Disla, Enrique García, Abel Martínez, Julie Michelin. 

Screening:
6 November, 6:55 p.m. VOSENG
With an introduction and subsequent Q&A with Benjamin de Menil, founder of the Bachata Academy. Followed by a warm-up session with DJ Fino.

7 November, 5:15 p.m. VOSENG