Yesterday I watched Cremata’s movie ” Viva Cuba” on Netflix. The film is from 2005. It is the second Cuban film that I watch in a month starring children. The previous one was Habanastation.

The kids acting in this story are from “La Colmenita” a theatre company which is directed by J.C.Cremata’s brother Carlos Alberto Cremata.

A boy (Jorgito) and a girl (Malu) are close friends, with different backgrounds, who decide to run away when they find out that Malu’s mother wants to leave the country. Malu’s mother has sent a letter to the girl’s father, asking for an exit permit that authorizes Malu to leave the island. The friends take a road trip to get to Punta Maisi (the easternmost part of Cuba) and convince the dad not to sign the papers, while the police and the parents are looking for them.

The film is entertaining, funny and does not touch politics or deeper subjects regarding Cuba’s current situation. From the kids’ point of view they are just trying to stay together and continue to be friends.

The two amigos are from the neighbourhood of Regla but there is a scene where the kids are coming back from school that is shot in Plaza de la Revolucion, a completely different hood (?). The film has fantasy elements from Cuban popular culture like the güije.

Many scenes show the natural beauty of the island: its mountains, beaches and rivers.

I liked the splash of ocean water to finish the story, the moment where the land ends and the sea starts, separating Cuba from the rest of the continent.