Habana Blues (2005)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Benito Zambrano

Writers:

Ernesto Chao (writer)
Benito Zambrano (writer)

Release Date:

18 March 2005 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Plot Keywords:

Cuba | Singer | Havana Cuba

Awards:

9 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Alberto Yoel	...	Ruy (as Alberto Yoel García)
Roberto Sanmartín	...	Tito
Yailene Sierra	...	Caridad
Mayra Rodríguez	...	Lucía
Ernesto Escalona	...	Carlitos
Marta Calvó	...	Marta
Roger Pera	...	Lorenzo
Osvaldo Doimeadiós	...	Roger
Zenia Marabal	...	Luz María
Laris Vega	...	Betty
Jorge Alí	...	Nelson (as Jorge Ali Pérez)
Félix Pérez	...	René
Aurora Basnuevo	...	Estrellita
Tomás Cao	...	Álex (as Tomás A. Cao)
Giordano Serrano	...	Giordano
Lester Martínez	...	Lester (as Lester A. Martínez)
Alejandro Padrón	...	Alejandro
Alfredo R. Hernández	...	Alfredo
Rolando Berrio	...	Roly
Ismael de Diego	...	Gorki
Cocoman	...	Cocoman (as Cocoman {Luis A. Figueras})
Yuliet Cruz	...	Julia
Yanet Carrasco	...	Merlén
Alexis González	...	Adrian
Yipsia Torres	...	Girlfriend
Neyvis González	...	Wendy
Manuel Proenza	...	La Chari
Omar Ali Pérez	...	Lucio
Dianelys Brito	...	Mujer de Lucio
Julie Ladagnous	...	Valerie
Héctor Echemendia	...	Director Emisora (as Hector Echemendia)
Véronica Díaz	...	La Flaca
Antulío Marín	...	El Chino
Xiomara Melvin Calderón	...	Empleada Emisora
Susana Reyes	...	Celeste
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fidel Betancourt	...	Músico 1
Alejandra Llorente	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Benito Zambrano

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ernesto Chao		writer
Benito Zambrano		writer

Produced by
Antonio P. Pérez	....	producer
Ignacio Santamaría	....	associate producer
Camilo Vives	....	co-producer
Fabienne Vonier	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Jean-Claude Larrieu

Film Editing by
Fernando Pardo

Casting by
Laura Cepeda

Production Design by
Alain Ortiz

Costume Design by
Vladimir Cuenca

Makeup Department
María Julia Cabezas	....	hair stylist
María Julia Cabezas	....	makeup artist
Nereida Sánchez	....	hair stylist
Nereida Sánchez	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ernesto Chao	....	production manager
Eduardo Santana	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Oriol Ferrer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Carlos Faruolo	....	sound
Jorge Marín	....	sound
Alfonso Raposo	....	sound mixer
Kiku Vidal	....	foley artist
Ricardo Viñas	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby

Music Department
Dayan Abad	....	musician
Equis Alfonso	....	musician
Descemer Bueno	....	musician
Enrique Chávez	....	musician (as Cuarteto Arcadia)
Telmary Díaz	....	music assistant
Telmary Díaz	....	musician
Enrique Ferrer Orsini	....	musician
José Luis Garrido	....	music producer
José Luis Garrido	....	musician
Jimi González	....	musician
Juan Antonio Leyva	....	music producer
Juan Antonio Leyva	....	musician
Jorge Marín	....	music producer
Kelvis Ochoa	....	musician
Bernd Voss	....	musician

Production Companies

• Canal+ España (with the support of)
• Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía (with the support of)
• Eurimages (with the support of)
• Ibermedia (with the support of)
• Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)
• Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) (with the support of)
• Maestranza Films
• Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (ICAA) (with the support of)
• Pyramide Productions
• Televisión Española (TVE) (with the support of)

Distributors

• Polychrome Pictures (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Cinema Mondo (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Homescreen (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Vivarto (2007) (Poland) (all media)
• Warner Bros. Pictures de España (2005) (Spain) (all media)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)

Runtime:

Argentina:110 min | Spain:115 min

Country:

Spain | Cuba | France

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-11 | Brazil:16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R13 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Cienfuegos, Cuba

Company:

Canal+ España

Better if shorter

Better if shorter Cuban films are always poignant, well written and well acted. This film is all that. If it had been shorter, it would have been a much better film; it could have told the story in a more powerful fashion. Now, I have seen I don't know how many Cuban films dealing\with the same issue. The difference in here is the music: another important character of the story. But at times, the music was more important than the story. The best thing of the film is the lady who plays the wife planning to go to Miami. Her raw performance is riveting. When she speaks to her mom, her voice just crackles and tells a hundred stories in that one moment. Again, wonderful film, but I found myself wanting for it to faster...