HFFNY Wrap Up

We have slowly recovering from the activities from this year's Havana Film Festival week. We was able catch screenings and the closing party since we missed the opening party. After the opening night was at the DGA Theatre the rest of the screenings was at one of our favorite theaters: Quad Cinema on 13th Street in Manhattan. There is where we caught a couple of screenings that exemplify the message of what the festival is about: richness in culture through film. The first screening we happen to catch at Quad was El La Caliente which is a documentary on the first Cuban reggaeton artist and his influence on the country on how they digest music from different cultures. The movie follows Kandyman from his beginnings in the Cuban music scene and the reaction he got from the community to his disappearance and reemergence in Miami. It may be considered a tragic story because of the circumstances of what Kandyman went through to be heard in Cuba and then eventually leaving the country due to political red tape. This was a fascinating tale of what happened when one becomes a part of a rebellion only to be forgotten and what happens to their legacy. El La Caliente is great because it presented many layers to Cuban music and showcased the methods of how the country consumes and react to certain sounds. It was one of our highlights of the festival.

Another film we saw at the festival was Matrioshka. A film about three women (grandmother, mother and daughter) who spend a weekend together and do what they can to mend old wounds and start fresh. Directed by Jorge Forero and written by Tatiana Andrade and Jorge you get to experience what happens when generations collide and the aftermath of that collision. All three women did a magnificent job in their roles especially Vicky Hernandez as grandmother. She dominated every scene she was in and her presence was the standout performance in this movie. The mother and daughter roles was solid but more complimentary to the grandmother. The backdrop of the countryside in Colombia is beautiful and help enhance certain moments between the women. The script to us is brilliant because it definitely highlights the crack in the family and intensify the issues at hand. A great film that should dominate any festival that it's in and picked up by a distributor. The last film we saw happened to be the closing night film: Malecon. A film about a man returning to Havana after spending 10 years in prison and trying to figure out where he belongs in life. Malecon is about loyalty, love and decisions. Elvis, the main character goes to jail as a teenager and returns after ten years only to see his old neighborhood become a wasteland and with no way to earn money, he goes into the underworld and from there rekindles a old romance with his ex girlfriend. From there so he see him struggle between leaving Cuba and staying because of his family. A incredible backdrop of Cuba with a all Cuban cast showcases the struggles of citizens who thinks what's a better life and what is a better life to them. This was a great film to close out the festival.

Overall a great run of Cuban and Latin American films and panels blessed the city skyline for another year and we are grateful for another opportunity to broadcast and share our thoughts about this wonderful festival. Hopefully we get to see some or all of these films pick up by a distributor or enter more festivals to show how great they are.