The Cuban
| The Cuban | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Sergio Navarretta |
| Written by | Alessandra Piccione |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Celiana Cárdenas |
| Edited by | Jane MacRae |
| Music by | Hilario Durán |
Production company | S.N.A.P. Films Inc. |
| Distributed by | A71 Entertainment Brainstorm Media |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The Cuban is a 2019 Canadian drama film, directed by Sergio Navarretta and written by Alessandra Piccione.[1] The film stars Ana Golja as Mina, a young woman working at a nursing home managed by her aunt Bano (Shohreh Aghdashloo) while preparing for medical school, whose outlook on life is profoundly changed when she meets and befriends Luis Garcia (Louis Gossett Jr.), a former Cuban jazz musician who has been living in the home since being diagnosed with dementia.[2]
Plot
[edit | edit source]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.[3]
Cast
[edit | edit source]- Louis Gossett Jr. as Luis Garcia
- Ana Golja as Mina Ayoub
- Lauren Holly as Nurse Baker
- Shiva Negar as Zahra Karzai
- Jonathan Keltz as Ethan
- Layla Alzida as Shireen Karzai
- Kane Mahon as Atesh Karzai
- Taborah Johnson as Clarita
- Giacomo Gianniotti as Kris
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Bano Ayoub
- Tanner Zipchen as Orderly
In addition, Gabriel Sanchez Hernandez is seen throughout the film when Luis' addled memories conjure up the young Elena.
Release
[edit | edit source]The film premiered on December 7, 2019 at the Whistler Film Festival,[4] where Celiana Cárdenas won the Borsos Competition award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Film.[5] It had its American premiere in February 2020 at the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival, winning the Audience Award for Narrative Feature and the Special Programmer's Award.[6]
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 prior to its cancellation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
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
[edit | edit source]| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Nominees | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | May 20, 2021 | Best Editing | Jane MacRae | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Original Song | Hilario Durán, "El Milagro" | Nominated | |||
| Hilario Durán, "Mambo in Dominante" | Nominated |
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Louis Gossett Jr., Shohreh Aghdashloo Starrer 'The Cuban' Lands at Brainstorm Media". The Hollywood Reporter, July 1, 2020.
- ^ Sheri Linden, "'The Cuban': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter, July 28, 2020.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Katherine Brodsky, "Canadian and World Premieres Abound at Annual Whistler Film Festival". Variety, November 26, 2019.
- ^ Adrian Mack, "Antigone sweeps as Whistler film festival wraps". The Georgia Straight, December 11, 2019.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Postponed Canadian Film Fest finds new home on Super Channel". Canadian Press, April 20, 2020.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
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- The Cuban at IMDbLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- The Cuban at Rotten TomatoesLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- The Cuban at MetacriticLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- The Cuban at Library and Archives Canada
