‘Patria y Vida’ Documentary Heading to U.S. Theaters — Here’s When

The documentary about one of the biggest political protest anthems in recent years is finally coming to the U.S. Patria y Vida: The Power of Music will be released to theaters nationwide this July.

The documentary, which was directed by Spanish musician Beatriz Luengo, tells the story behind the song “Patria y Vida,” which was released in February 2021. During the anti-government protests in Cuba the following July, the song was embraced as an anthem in support of the Free Cuba movement.

Luengo co-wrote “Patria y Vida” with Cuban artist Yotuel, who stars in the documentary, and his collaborators, Gente de Zona, Decemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky. The title of the song is a repudiation of the motto “Patria o Muerte” from the 1960s during Fidel Castro’s dictatorship.

“I decided to record everything we were experiencing, among other things to protect ourselves,” Luengo shared in a statement. “Composing a song based on love and social justice, and ending up threatened by a government, was surreal. ‘Patria y Vida’ changed our lives in between dreams and nightmares.”

At the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards, “Patria y Vida” won Song of the Year and Best Urban Song. Later that year, plans were revealed about capturing the impact of “Patria y Vida” in a documentary. In March 2023, Patria y Vida: The Power of Music premiered at the Miami Film Festival. The documentary will finally be distributed to theaters across the U.S. through Spanglish Movies on July 11.

Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio and Camila Cabello make appearances in the movie. Osorbo, one of the songwriters of “Patria y Vida,” is currently a political prisoner in Cuba and Yotuel has since become an exile.