Agridulce (Bittersweet)

In the Dominican town of Cabarete, bachata is a way of life far from the dance halls that it occupies overseas. A snapshot of four children, each confronting an existential challenge, Agridulce shows how music guides their journey of self discovery. Generations collide, and the children struggle for balance in a world troubled by conflict. Along the way, they’re mentored by teachers of a school devoted to bachata, the once denigrated music that has become the Dominican Republic’s primary cultural export. With five years of filming, director Frank Pavich (Jodorowsky’s Dune) captures pivotal moments of the children’s coming of age.