Viva Cuba
Encyclopedia
Viva Cuba is a 2005 Cuba
n film, directed by Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti Cabrera, and written by Cremata and Manolito Rodriguez. It was the first Cuban film to be awarded the ‘Grand Prix Écrans Juniors’ for children’s cinema at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
.
In Viva Cuba, a road movie fairy tale
, Cremata tackles localized Cuban problems from the literal point of view of the country’s children. He lowers the camera to the eye level of the film’s protagonists, Malú (Malú Tarrau Broche) and Jorgito (Jorgito Miló Ávila).
that explores emigration and the effects it can have on children who have to leave friends and extended families
behind. Youngsters are often uprooted without being consulted and then must contend with their new surroundings. In one scene, Malú and Jorgito discuss when they might reunite. The best they can hope for is to forget one another as their lives change and they face new pleasures and challenges. The viewer knows they are unlikely to ever see each other again, unless Malú’s mother can be granted re-entry, which is extremely unlikely given the state of Cuban immigration laws
.
addressed specifically to an audience of children.
The film became a box office
hit and went on to win many awards nationally and internationally as it was displayed at many film festival
s around the world, including 2005 Cannes Film Festival
, where it won the Grand Prix Ecrans Juniors Award, plus awards in countries as diverse as Australia Italy, Guatemala, Germany, and France, and Taiwan. In 2008, it was shown all over Venezuela.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n film, directed by Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti Cabrera, and written by Cremata and Manolito Rodriguez. It was the first Cuban film to be awarded the ‘Grand Prix Écrans Juniors’ for children’s cinema at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
.
In Viva Cuba, a road movie fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
, Cremata tackles localized Cuban problems from the literal point of view of the country’s children. He lowers the camera to the eye level of the film’s protagonists, Malú (Malú Tarrau Broche) and Jorgito (Jorgito Miló Ávila).
Background
Viva Cuba is a Cuban independent filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
that explores emigration and the effects it can have on children who have to leave friends and extended families
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
behind. Youngsters are often uprooted without being consulted and then must contend with their new surroundings. In one scene, Malú and Jorgito discuss when they might reunite. The best they can hope for is to forget one another as their lives change and they face new pleasures and challenges. The viewer knows they are unlikely to ever see each other again, unless Malú’s mother can be granted re-entry, which is extremely unlikely given the state of Cuban immigration laws
Cuban Law
The substantive and procedural laws of Cuba were later based on the Spanish Civil laws and were influenced by the principles of Marxism-Leninism after that philosophy became the guiding force of government.- Principle of equality :...
.
Plot
Malú is from an upper class family and her single mother does not want her to play with Jorgito, as she thinks his background is coarse and common-place. Jorgito's mother, a poor socialist proud of her family's social standing, places similar restrictions on her son. What neither woman recognizes is the immense strength of the bond between Malú and Jorgito. When the children find out that Malú's mother is planning to leave Cuba, they decide to run away and travel to the other side of the island to find Malú's father and persuade him against signing the forms that would allow it. At the end, the forms were signed.Reception
Viva Cuba is unique in that, with the exception of Juan Padrón's animated features, it is the first Cuban live-action feature filmLive action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
addressed specifically to an audience of children.
The film became a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
hit and went on to win many awards nationally and internationally as it was displayed at many film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s around the world, including 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
, where it won the Grand Prix Ecrans Juniors Award, plus awards in countries as diverse as Australia Italy, Guatemala, Germany, and France, and Taiwan. In 2008, it was shown all over Venezuela.
Awards
Viva Cuba won 34 national and international awards in all, including:- Grand Prix Ecrans Juniors, Cannes, 2005
- Best Film award at the International Children Cinema and Television Festival in Taiwan.
- Special Mention, Cinecircoli Giovanili Socioculturale. Giffoni International Film Festival, Italia, 2005.
- Premio en las categorías de dirección, guión, dirección de fotografía y edición. Premio Caracol. UNEAC, 2005.
- Premio especial otorgado por la Unión de Pioneros José MartíJosé MartíJosé Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. In his short life he was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist. He was also a part of the Cuban...
. UNEAC, 2005. - Premio de ayuda à la distribución. XIII Festival de Cine de españa y América Latina. Bélgica, 2005.
- Premio à la Mejor Edición. VIII Festival de Cine Infantil. Guayana, Venezuela, 2005.
- Premio à la Mejor Película. VIII Festival de Cine Infantil. Guayana, Venezuela, 2005.
- Reconocimiento Especial de la Agencia Internacional de Noticias Prensa Latina. 27 Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano. La HabanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba, 2005. - Premio del Oyente de la Emisora radio ProgresoRadio ProgresoRadio Progreso is a Cuban Spanish language radio station....
. 27 Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano. La Habana, Cuba, 2005.
External links
- Viva Cuba Official Website
- Viva Cuba Excerpts
- Juan Carlos Cremata's Viva Cuba, an article from GranmaGranma (newspaper)Granma is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.Its name comes from the yacht Granma that carried Fidel Castro and 81 other rebels to Cuba's shores in 1956 launching the Cuban Revolution.-Editions:...
. - Viva Cuba: A film review