''The Cuban'' is a 2019 Canadian drama film, directed by
Sergio Navarretta and written by
Alessandra Piccione. The film stars
Ana Golja
Muazana "Ana" Golja is a Canadian actress and singer. She is known for playing Zoë Rivas in the teen dramas '' Degrassi: Next Class'' and '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Ariana Berlin in the TV movie ''Full Out''.
Career
Golja began h ...
as Mina, a young woman working at a nursing home managed by her aunt Bano (
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Shohreh Aghdashloo ( fa, شهره آغداشلو, ; née Vaziri-Tabar (); 11 May 1952) is an Iranian and American actress. Following numerous starring roles on the stage, she made her film debut in ''Chess of the Wind'' (1976). Her next two film ...
) while preparing for medical school, whose outlook on life is profoundly changed when she meets and befriends Luis Garcia (
Louis Gossett Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...
), a former Cuban jazz musician who has been living in the home since being diagnosed with dementia.
[Sheri Linden]
"'The Cuban': Film Review"
''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', July 28, 2020.
Plot
An unexpected friendship begins between an elderly Cuban musician with dementia who is brought out of his shell by his care worker, and a disillusioned young pre-med Afghan student named Mina. Through a shared loved of music, both their lives are changed.
Cast
In addition, Gabriel Sanchez Hernandez is seen throughout the film when Luis' addled memories conjure up the young Elena.
Release
The film premiered on December 7, 2019 at the
Whistler Film Festival The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) is an annual film festival held in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 2001, the festival is held the first weekend of December and includes juried competitive sections, the Borsos Awards, and the Pand ...
, where
Celiana Cárdenas won the
Borsos Competition The Borsos Competition is the main awards program for Canadian feature films screening at the annual Whistler Film Festival. Introduced for the first time in 2004, the juried competition presents six awards annually to honour films, actors, screenpl ...
award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Film. It had its American premiere in February 2020 at the Los Angeles
Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film festival and an ar ...
, winning the Audience Award for Narrative Feature and the Special Programmer's Award.
In April 2020, the film aired on
Super Channel as part of its special program of airing the films that had been slated to run at the
Canadian Film Festival
The Canadian Film Festival, formerly known as the Canadian Filmmakers Festival, is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario. Showcasing a program of Canadian independent films, it is held in March of each year and usually runs for five days.
...
prior to its cancellation in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
"Postponed Canadian Film Fest finds new home on Super Channel"
Canadian Press
The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
, April 20, 2020.
The film was released at drive-ins and traditional theatres across Canada on July 28, 2020 and in virtual cinemas across the United States on July 31, 2020.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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The Cuban
' at Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
2019 films
Canadian drama films
English-language Canadian films
Films directed by Sergio Navarretta
Black Canadian films
2010s English-language films
2010s Canadian films
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