The title "Cuba Feliz" is taken from a song by Armandito Machado, one of 22 in the film, nearly all of which are sung by Miguel Del Morales, better known as El Gallo ("the rooster"). Originally, director Karim Dridi planned to use Del Morales only for two or three days of shooting in Cienfuegos and Trinidad. However, the 76-year-old vagabond-troubadour proved to be such an asset ­ he knows scores of Cuban songs and sings them with a lilt in his voice that speaks of joy and suffering ­ that Dridi and his screenwriter Pascal Letellier, a noted authority on Cuban music, decided to take him with them on this "road movie musical" across the length and breadth of Cuba.

Born in 1961, Dridi has a solid festival record. All four of his feature films have been seen at major festivals: Pigalle (1994) at Venice, Bye-Bye (1995) in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Hors Jeu (1998) at Locarno and now Cuba Feliz in the Directors' Fortnight. In addition, he has made a number of short films, plus documentaries for Arte, including Citizen Ken Loach (1997) and An Impression Of South Africa (1996).

"I hardly knew anything about Cuba, and even less about its music, despite the fact that it was on the air all day," admits Dridi. "I wanted to go backstage, behind the scenes, to see what was hidden behind this musical genre and its clichés. I asked my friend Pascal Letellier, who knew Cuba well, to dive with me into this great island." This was also the first time Dridi was behind the camera. "We were a team reduced to the essentials," he says. "The film was shot from day to day with a handheld camera and a single microphone fixed to a boom. Little by little, I found my perspective merging with that of El Gallo in the picture."

Comparisons with Wim Wenders' Buena Vista Social Club are sure to arise, but Dridi simply describes his film as a "musical voyage". Along the way we meet native musicians who are already legends among their people: Pepin Vaillant, Mirta Gonzales, Anibal Avila, Alberto Pablo, Armandito Machado and Mario Sanchez Martinez, among others. The trio would sometimes spend entire days in people's homes, waiting until, says Dridi, "the music and energy unite in a moment that has to be captured. It's like making love."

Ron Holloway