Santa & Andrés

Very touching film about how the oppressive bureaucracy in Cuba keeps dissidents and potential dissidents under control. Worth seeing.

Ostracized from society and banned from writing for his questionable ideology and sexual orientation, Andres is kept on a short leash by village authorities. During a three-day special event Andres is put under house arrest and assigned with Santa to watch over him. Santa is suspicious of Andres at first. She keeps her distance and watches him like a hawk. As time passes however, Santa realizes that she has many things in common with Andres. They are both isolated and alone. They are both kind to others and to animals (Santa often talks to her cow named Mariposa). As the two spend more time together and Santa confronts an indifferent boyfriend, Santa begins to wonder if a relationship with Andres is possible.

The film is a compelling portrait about the hazards of hasty judgments of others as well as the unfortunate Cuban divide of the past fifty years. While the acting is a little rough, captions are sometimes off the mark, the settings do not change a whole lot, and there is a scene of Cuban mythology that I didn't fully understand, the film is insightful and very enjoyable. I like how Santa and Andres find comfort by going to the sea and swimming, as immersing myself in the natural world brings comfort for me as well. Seen at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.