Tribeca Festival closed out Sunday night with the World Premiere of “CARLOS,” the new immersive and intimate documentary on the life and legacy of the rock icon Carlos Santana. Filmmaker Rudy Valdez takes an intimate look at the life of Santana with never-before-seen footage narrated by the one and only Santana.
The documentary was produced by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment, Sarah Bernstein, Justine Wilkes, Lizz Morhaim, Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn, Sam Pollard, and Rudy Valdez, and Executive Produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Michael Vrionis, Tom Mackay and Richard Story.
The premiere was held at the Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side in New York City and even featured a live performance by Santana after the documentary concluded. Before the night kicked off, Director Rudy Valdez chatted with us on the red carpet. He shared with us how the project was initiated right before the pandemic hit but that it ultimately helped give the project more time to be perfected. “I really wanted it to be in Carlos’ hand and Carlos’ heart and Carlos’ voice throughout the whole process,” said Valdez.
Carlos Santana broke barriers for artists of color, and the film highlights its importance on his legacy and those who look up to him. Rudy Valdez also spoke on Carlos’ spirituality, which is another important topic in the film. Rudy shared that Carlos “didn’t become this sort of spiritual person later on in life like a lot of people sometimes do. He’s been that his entire life and you see that here.”
Check out the full interview with “CARLOS” Director Rudy Valdez below!
