Una noche

Lucy Mulloy's "Una Noche" (One Night) takes you into the depths of the Cuban culture and exposes how far its main characters are willing to go to find a better life. Daniel Arrechaga, who plays Raul, is an energetic free spirit who's been drowning in the sedentary existence of his mundane job while at the same time trying to sell and trade whatever he can to support his HIV positive prostitute mother. But time is running out as Raul's gets restless and proceeds to unintentionally create a situation for himself that will force him to flee in order to avoid prosecution. His childhood friend Elio (Javier Núñez Florián) and sister Lila (Anailín de la Rúa de la Torre) are in similar desperate situations as they find themselves facing daily austerity in the face of an impending bleak future. Raul's unawareness of Elio's feelings towards him makes matters ever more interesting as both men choose to embark on an odyssey at sea on a made up raft. Their plans are altered by Lila, a sudden addition to their trip. With only a concept and very little to work with, this threesome sets out to sea hoping to survive the treacherous and at times life threatening waters in order find a new life in Miami. All three find themselves in a dicey situation as Lila's menstruation becomes a call to feast from hungry sharks and a catalyst to an unnerving and troubling ending.

The leads performances and fascinating look into surviving a very repressed Cuban society with stern consequences for those who choose to engage in minor infractions, is what makes this remarkable and sexually charged feature a journey you will never forget.

I had the privilege to watch this film at Berlinale 2012, and afterward to hear a Q and A with some of the actors, as well as one of the cinematographers and the director.

I really enjoyed this film. I found the story gripping, the actors convincing (especially considering they were previously untrained)and the overall film kept me hooked. In particular i felt the film showed a great balance between following the story while also managing to include a lot of street shots showing regular people doing regular things. I liked the way this was blended into the story, but didn't detract from it at all. Something else i think deserves a mention is the music and sound engineering. For a low budget film i found it superb. Not only was the music well chosen, and fitting for the scenes changes, but the overall audio presentation was great (this may have been partly due to the theater we were in though).

"Una noche" looks at the conditions in modern Cuba that have driven many citizens to flee the country. A common debate in the US is whether the conditions in Cuba are due more to the Castro brothers or to the US embargo/blockade*. This movie shows that whatever the case, the conditions there are pretty bad. As with the rest of Latin America, the tourists stay in fancy hotels but the hotel's employees don't get to share the tourists' experiences in the rest of the country. It turned out that the plot took on a real dimension when it premiered in the US: Javier Nuñez Florián and Anailín de la Rúa de la Torre both disappeared, reportedly defecting to the US. These things will probably continue as long as the embargo/blockade exists. Anyway, it's a really good movie.

*The US calls it an embargo, Cuba calls it a blockade.

It is an American movie about Cubans. It seemed to me, the director did a research for years in La Havana just to confirm and show what she had in her mind previously. The movie lacks of Cuban heart. At times, she depicts La Havana as if it was a slum in India, Brazil or Haiti. A place full of poor people, without any support from any State. Where the State is just an oppressive machine. Cuba is full of contrasts, and each one who goes there, or lives theres, or was born there, looks into different aspects. The director, was not able or did not want to move her point of view, into something less conventional.

This is a fantastic movie. All actors enacted their characters very well. The script (even though its in Spanish) and screen play are great!! Or more appropriately, the sub-titles convey the mood of a scene without losing anything in translation. The movie is action packed, has nail- biting moments, and shows a lot of fun and excitement along with desperation. The sound track is beautiful and makes me want to visit Cuba.

The Q & A session at the end of the movie in the TriBeCa Film Festival was very insightful about how the movie was made, despite the challenges. A small team of extremely dedicated and talented people have come together as a great crew to make this fantastic movie. Would love to watch this again in the theaters - can't wait for it's national theater release in the US. Hope it gets nominated for an Oscar and wins too!