Suite Habana

An almost wordless portrait of modern-day Havana with sublime music. The camera follows ten Havana citizens through one day. The chosen subjects are ordinary folks: an old peanut vendor with a bed-ridden husband at home; a hospital laundry worker who performs in a drag show by night; a sad-eyed medic who moonlights as a clown (the only spoken words in the film are the clown's manic spiel at a children's birthday party); a young man who slogs as a menial worker, then when night falls, dazzles as one of the principal dancers in a ballet performance; a widowed factory worker who lovingly tends his Down's syndrome-afflicted son; a railway employee who morphs into a jazz saxophonist by night. The failure of the Communist experiment in Cuba has marked each of these people, yet they find, to a degree, salvation in art, and in loving somebody. While the aged peanut vendor roasts the nuts that she will sell the following day, the camera moves to the walls behind her. On one crumbling wall, is a yellowed photograph of her and her husband on their wedding day, beaming with youthful energy and optimism. The factory worker and his son are the poorest of the lot; when their day is done, they climb up on the roof of their tenement building and gaze at the full moon with an appreciation that is truly humbling. The most mundane details of what comprises life are observed with the most exquisite thoroughness: a child joyfully rushing into the arms of a parent at day's end; a performer applying his make-up with an almost religious concentration; the effort, in empty night-darkened streets, of wangling a ride to a performance. I was moved to tears by this haunting empathetic examination of the human condition, by the ability to love despite having nothing left to give, and the restorative powers of Art.

It is necessary to have a very good imagination and knowledge of the scenarios in order to make such a shocking and interesting film without any dialogue. It only shows the lives and daily tasks of several people in Havana. I do not say "poor" people because I do not know who is rich or wealthy in Havana. The director showed the reality of the lives of these people, and I do not agree with those who say that this film was to denounce the critical poor situation in Cuba. No, showing the reality and the truth cannot be a denunciation. The fact is that here one can observe how Havana is coming down day by day, it is a city showing the same level of destruction of any other city that suffered war. However, Havana never suffered any war. The houses of the town are in a very tragic situation, colorless and the walls demanding immediate restoration. It is sad to see the walking sides of Malecón avenue with its stony walls in very bad state. And the people are poorer than ever. It will take decades to restore Havana city and the country. It is amazingly incredible that Academy Awards of 2003 did not include this film among the candidates for the best foreign film. Let´s hope it can be included for the next 2004. The film is very original and an excellent material for all those who want to know the present Cuba.

There's no need to have Spanish skills to understand the story told in this film. Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction (these are real people, telling "their" story, but they've been directed into scenes of "their lives).

At times it gets a bit cumbersome when the "characters" are not talking. You know they would be chatting away over their dinner of rice and beans but they are presented quiet and stoic.

But the story gets told without words and with amazing images of Havana. Having visited, I was overwhelmed by the truth in this movie, and impressed that the subtle political message in this "apolitical" film was able to get out of Fidel's Cuba in the 21st century.

But by the end of the film I was overcome with emotion and sat for moments after the final message, tears overwhelming me. This type of film is manipulative to the extreme, but it's also the type of thing where you don't mind being manipulated.

I've brought everyone I can convince to see it.

Grateful to Instituto Cervantes to bring this gem of a film to the Philippines ; a must see ; the soundtrack is also great. All the characters are really touching, especially the widower and his son. The film shows people struggling with their professional and private lives (a young construction worker who is also a ballet dancer !). Not knowing Cuba, I was wondering if contemporary Cuba is really like this : even the fridges are 1950s "vintage" ! Strangely enough, the films brought sadness and joy (or hope at least) at the same time and made me want to visit Cuba. 9/10

It only took to see the trailer for me to break in tears.

I don't know to what point the movie is selfish in a way that if you never had to live in Cuba, the film can be "just a bit plain" and nothing else, the film will unfold flat before your eyes. However for "the others" the ones "had to leave" but lived there, every shot, every image and every sound counts. The Lighthouse at "El Morro", the Malecon, those delicious Cafe con Leches in the morning and sandwiches at lunch (if lucky) can mean a whole different deal. It was hard to watch the airport lounges and the runway, and the guy getting on the plane. Also the part where you can see an old Silvio still singing "Mariposas" after so many years, Is tough for anyone to go back and think of those moments, or think of the people that we left behind.