Viva

It is impressive how well an Irish team captures the reality of poverty everywhere, that this story takes place in Cuba and involves transvestites is not relevant. You can place it anywhere in the world and it will resonate as loud.

I think there is nothing out of place here. The locations, the clothing, the atmosphere transport you to the daily struggle of the dispossessed. How much hope can these people have? No safe jobs, no income, no food; nothing to hold to, nothing to lose. Still, with all their shortcomings, they also show solidarity; apparently everyone is on his/her own, but in times of need there will always be someone to lend a hand. And this is what made me like the movie, the perfect portrait of this part of society. It is what I have seen through the years in my country; this could have happened in Mexico City, and the occupation of the characters be any other, the fact of the pulling together is always there.

Whoever talks about drag performances, lip-syncing, bad editing, missed the whole point of the movie and has no idea what real life in poor Latin America is like. This is a crash course on the subject. The lengths this young boy goes to survive are impressive; to him, being alive is enough, what it takes doesn't scare him: Been there, done that. And so everybody else: his hustler friend, the old drag, the young woman, even the father with what is left for him. Only strength can hold someone in such dire conditions.

This is one of the most moving films I have seen in my life and, as I said before, that it is Irish makes it even more valuable. If you are going to watch it, do it with an open heart, you will feel the soul of real people in an all too real and difficult world. Believe me, this is no fiction, this is the real life.

Run-down Havana pretends to be a bustling city through the raucousness of its inhabitants and the creaking of its decades-old cars. Ubiquitous poverty is barely concealed by flashy cheap clothing and rum. Loneliness is under every character's skin, who grasp at any chance to escape in a tedious struggle for their lives. In this inaspicious setting, Jesús is a hairdresser who does an old lady's hair, he brushes wigs for drag queens performing in a cabaret attended by bolero lovers. Dullness and uneventfullness is one day broken into by his father, who'd left the home when Jesús was only three. Father is not pleased with his son's tastes, job, friends and lifestyle. Just as Jesús feels his life escapes his control to a stranger father, life will give them both an opportunity they hadn't asked for.

Viva (2015) is an Irish film, set in Cuba, directed by Paddy Breathnach.

The film stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young gay man who is a professional hairdresser. He also works fixing the wigs of drag queens who perform at a local night club. Eventually, he performs in drag, and he turns out to be highly talented.

Jesus's mother is dead. His father killed a man, and has been in prison for 20 years. The plot begins when his father returns. Angel, played Jorge Perugorría, starts out as a unidimensional macho brute. However, director Breathnach is too talented to let him remain nothing more than a stereotype. An interesting relationship begins between father and son, and that's the real strength of the movie.

Well, that's one of the real strengths of the movie. The other strength is the music and the drag performances. These men are talented, and we don't just see little clips of their acts--the camera lingers on them, and their work draws you in.

We saw this movie in a special preview performance at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. The ImageOut LGBT Film Festival is one of the highlights of the year in Rochester, and ImageOut sponsored this special showing.

The director of ImageOut film selection, Michael Gamilla, told us that he saw this movie at a festival in Berlin, and begged the producer to let it be shown in Rochester. (It will be shown in the U.S., but only in limited release in larger cities.) Because the movie hasn't been released yet, a print was available, and Rochester got it. Good work by Michael; good luck for us.

This is a movie that will really work better on the large screen, because the drag performances will be diminished--literally and figuratively--on the small screen. If you live in New York, Chicago, Miami, or San Francisco, you may get a chance to see it in a theater. If not, try to get it on the small screen. You'll still enjoy it.

While the film is Ireland's official Oscar submission due to director Paddy Breathnach's home country (and source of financing), 'Viva' is a film set entirely in Havana, Cuba, and serves as a window into the unique world of Cuban drag performers at a local nightclub.

Our protagonist, Jesus (Héctor Medina), barely survives off meager wages and temporary work, but dreams of being a drag star like his mentor Mama (Luis Alberto García). His road to local stardom starts out extremely well as he has plenty of potential, but hits a major hurdle when his father, a convict, comes home unexpectedly from prison. As a former boxer, it isn't surprising to hear that his father does not care for his son's chosen career path (or his sexuality). The resulting drama is about being true to yourself and following your passions while keeping relationships in your life.

Every character is so distinctly different from the others, and this colorful group gives 'Viva' the necessary stakes to be fully invested in, and truly sell, the movie. Jesus's father, Angel (Jorge Perugorría), starts out as a one-dimensional brute, but it quickly becomes clear he is much more than that. The machismo culture that is present in this world in direct contrast to its flamboyant opposition in drag queens is a compelling world to occupy.

While the film meanders at times, it thankfully finds enough of a storyline to finish extremely strong and leave the audience emotionally moved. Each of the drag performances is spellbinding thanks to a fantastic soundtrack and outstanding emotional vulnerability from the various entertainers. These performances will be the film's calling card and what makes it so memorable. As a father-son drama, and as an introduction into a world foreign to many of us (especially here in the U.S., where Cuba just recently opened its doors to tourism), 'Viva' is a success all around. The title stems from the protagonist's stage name, which is a perfect message for a movie about living life the way you want to against all odds, and stepping out of your comfort zone in pursuit of success.

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At the screening, the director, Paddy gave an introduction about his personal experience with seeing a drag performance years ago where an individual was having the best time of their lives. He said that those who knew the performer were crying due to the fact that that was the only place this individual could truly be who they were.

That introduction set the mood for the movie. I'm afraid if I wasn't lucky enough to have the director give some backstory I would've liked it less.

The beginning of the film had a few clichés. A troubled protagonist unsure of how to make money, family issues, shopping in record stores. As it went on the clichés dwindled, immersing the audience in Cuba. Our main character's routine continued, and I found myself falling more into his psyche. His family issues became more relevant, his troubles were mine, and even the records had an important role in the story.

By the end people around me were weeping.

The only note I had was that there were a handful of times where moments should've been longer. Just an extra few seconds on those emotional scenes would've gone a long way. Not sure if that's a directing or editing critique.

I'm afraid of using an incorrect term here, so forgive me if I do. But as LGBT rights continue to finally be as important as they should've been decades ago, it's great to see more films like this, especially when they are well done. I hope this film gets the recognition it deserves.