Benda Bilili! - the movie

Directors: Renaud Barret and Florent de la Tullaye

Wim Wenders’ film documentary account of the emergence and development of the Buena Vista social club – a collection of ageing Cuban caballeros – contributed in no small part to the group’s becoming genre leaders in “world music” towards the end of the last century.

The question is, can this film which follows in that music doc tradition achieve similar results for a group of African disabled musos?

You might remember Disability Now grilling this band of disabled Congolese musicians way back in 2009, when they were still relatively unknown to European audiences. Since then, they have fast picked up a reputation for being one of the liveliest, most unique African exports to grace our shores. They headlined at world music festival WOMAD in 2010, played sold out shows across the UK, Europe and Japan, and quickly became a championing force, a fantastic and shining example  of achievement: if five middle-aged men with polio, who have lived a life sleeping on cardboard on the streets, can have the career of their dreams, then why the hell can’t anyone else?

Now they’re back with a beautifully realised documentary charting the band’s painfully troubled album-making process and subsequent rise to success. From the streets, where they sold cigarettes and performed for passers-by for a little change to feed their families, to Europe, where they stay in hotels with televisions and heating, meet ambassadors and have fans queue for photos and autographs… seeing life “before the stage”, it is hard to believe anyone else could be more deserving.

Filmed by French documentary-makers Renaud Barret and Florent de la Tullaye over a period of five years, the film really reflects on how difficult it is to start something great from nothing, but that belief in your craft can drive success. For Staff Benda Bilili, all too often it seems like an impossible dream: the band finds, and subsequently misplaces, a 12-year-old satongé-playing genius, lose everything they own in a massive fire, have no money to record songs and are confronted by continuous disbelief from family and friends. It takes five years for them to be able to hold a disc in their hands and call it an album. But throughout, no matter the trouble they find themselves in, they power on, driven by the self-belief that they could do something great. As illustrated by the title of their debut album (Trés, Trés Fort), they are unfathomably strong, and seeing that through the documentary, it’s impossible not to fall in love with their passion and craft.

• Benda Bilili! the film premiered at Cannes and London Film Festival in 2010 and went on general release in UK cinemas in March. DVD released May 16.

•• Staff Benda Bilili tour the UK in May. For dates visit bendabilili.co.uk

Cathy Reay