A coming-of-age story set in the Dominican Republic, where a group of aspiring young Bachata artists search for answers to love and life through their music.

In Cabarete, on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, bachata is woven into everyday life – its rhythms carrying stories of love, hardship and identity. In Agridulce (Bittersweet), director Frank Pavich follows a group of young musicians over several years as they come of age within this deeply rooted musical culture.

Mentored by renowned guitarist Martires de Leon, they learn not only how to play, but what it means to carry forward a tradition that has travelled from marginalised origins to global stages. As they navigate adolescence, questions of ambition, belonging and responsibility begin to surface.

Shot over several years in an immersive, observational style, the film captures the textures of life in Cabarete – from moments of play to the quiet pressures of expectation. As the students grow, their stories reflect broader themes of migration, inequality and cultural heritage, offering a deeply human portrait of how music can guide young lives through uncertainty and change.