drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Humberto Solás
Humberto Solás (4 December 1941 – 17 September 2008) was a Cuban film director, credited with directing the film '' Lucía'' (1968), which explored the lives of Cuban women during different periods in Cuban history.
His cinematic style b ...
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the wor ...
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png, From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Owens Thompson, Florence Thompson shows the effects of the Great Depression; due to extreme drought conditions, farms across the south-central Uni ...
1960s
File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the Woodstock, 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong ...
), all as seen through the eyes of a different woman, each named Lucía.
''Lucia'' was digitally restored by the Cineteca di Bologna with funding from World Cinema Project and
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...
and later screened at the Cannes Classics section of the 70th Cannes Film Festival in May 2017. The restored version also screened at the 55th New York Film Festival in the revivals section.
Plot
1895
The wealthy Lucía Fidelina lives with her mother in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Keys to escape riots in Cienfuegos. Lucía is bored in the Keys and generally annoyed with the pettiness of her mother. One night, she spots a group helping an injured man. She later meets the injured man, Aldo, a member of the ABC, and begins to fall in love.
Lucía and her mother return to Cuba, where she reunites with Aldo, and they begin dating. She begins working to support his revolutionary activities, and writes anti-Machado slogans with a coworker in their workplace bathroom. Aldo and his two revolutionary friends assassinate several drunken soldiers in a theater, meanwhile an anti-Machado protest Lucía and Flora take part in is violently broken up by police.
The group awakens to the news that Machado has resigned, and Aldo begins clerical work in Havana in forming a new provincial government. Aldo is disgusted by Havana's bourgeoise, but is elated when he finds out Lucía is pregnant. After a night of drinking with Antonio and Flora, Aldo reveals his dissatisfaction with the revolution and Antonio agrees. Aldo is later killed in another shootout and Lucía identifies the body. Now alone, she is left to contemplate her future.
1961
Lucía is a worker on a large compound run by a
worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and Workers' self-management, self-managed by its workers. This control may mean a Company, firm where every worker-owner participates in decision-making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one ...
. One day, she is picked up by a man, Tomás, in his truck, and the two quickly marry, spending much of their time indoors for their honeymoon. Despite the revolution, Tomás is more traditionally minded and forbids Lucía from working any longer. Attending a party at the compound, Tomás gets into a fight with a man dancing with Lucía and proceeds to board up their home to prevent her from leaving.
The worker's cooperative announces that the Cuban government is sending literacy workers from Havana to the worksite to educate everyone. One arrives at Tomás's house to teach Lucía to read and write, and though resistant, Tomás is forced to allow him to do so. While teaching Lucía, the literacy worker picks up on the abusive relationship, and begins convincing Lucía to leave. After Tomás fights the literacy worker, Lucía seeks the help of Angelina, who devises a plan for her to escape.
Returning home drunk, Tomás finds that she has left and quickly goes to find her. Discovering her working at a salt flat, he chases her but is apprehended by the other workers.
Later as a town drunk, Tomás is approached by Lucía on a beach, who wishes to reconcile but only if he lets her work again. They argue and Tomás chases after her while a little girl laughs at them from a distance.
Cast
Part 1: Cuban War of Independence
* Raquel Revuelta as Lucía
* Eduardo Moure as Rafael