World Cinema Amsterdam | Internationaal filmfestival | 18 – 27 Augustus 2016

SERGIO CABRERA | COLOMBIA | 2015 | 107' | SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Colombian director Sergio Cabrera had resolved to quit making films and actually stuck to his resolve for more than a decade. But when he read Cuban writer Wendy Guerra's autobiographical novel Todos se van he decided to turn the book into a film.

Set in the 80's; Cuba is in the grip of a serious economic crisis. Eva and Manuel are waging a bitter battle over custody of their 8-year-old daughter Nieve. Their conflict assumes political dimensions that surpass the human drama. Eva, remarried to Swedish Dan, is a non-conformist artist who believes in a revolution without authoritarianism or censorship. Her former husband Manuel on the other hand lives in a remote part of the island writing propaganda plays in praise of the Cuban revolution's blessings. When the Cuban authorities interfere the custody battle over Nieve is put on the political agenda.

Director Cabrera shot the film on location, assuming his film would never be shown in Cuba. Due to the efforts of Iván Giroud, director of the Havana Film Festival, the film was however screened in Cuba; it was a one-off, which did however attract more than 600 viewers.