A new documentary about Blondie is set to premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest next month focusing on the band’s 2019 trip to Havana, Cuba, where they were invited as part of a cultural exchange programme through the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

Titled Blondie: Vivir en la Habana, the film offers an intimate look at Debbie Harry and co as they perform and collaborate with local musicians – documenting the “magical exchange between musicians from the two cities each call home and their intertwined influence.” Having always drawn inspiration from Latin and Caribbean music, the trip was a decades-long dream for Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, who came up with the initial idea of gigging there.

First envisioned as a short film by director Rob Roth before being adapted into a feature-length work, the project was shot entirely on 16mm and 8mm film and is narrated by the band.

The UK premiere of BLONDIE: VIVIR EN LA HABANA sees New York new wave blend with Latin beats. Street scenes of Havana, shot on Super 8, fuse with concert footage when Debbie Harry and @BlondieOfficial tour Cuba by @robrothnyc. #SheffDocFest2021@chrissteinplays @clem_burke pic.twitter.com/XhpcWDRu0U

— Sheffield Doc/Fest (@sheffdocfest) April 29, 2021