Notícias

Filmmaking duo Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz are teaming up with Disney to make a new version of Treasure Island. The duo, who previously directed the critically acclaimed film The Peanut Butter Falcon, have been making a splash in Hollywood recently, and their new film, Los Frikis, is arriving this Christmas.

Schwartz and Nilson'sTreasure Island project is currently in development, so there are not many details yet. The directors spoke with The Hollywood Reporter to promote Los Frikis and teased the upcoming collaboration. Nilson said their pitch “has the patina of the 1970s surf world.” This could hint to a more modern riff on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Schwartz further described their approach, saying:

“It’s an Australian surfer version of Treasure Island, and if they [Disney] ever make it, it would be so fun. It has the vibes that we do, and there’s found family, brotherhood, drama and outsider energy,...

"You can't expect to hold onto anything, Gustavo." The official trailer is available for a new film titled Los Frikis, a coming-of-age film from 1990s Cuba based on a true story. This indie drama is the latest creation from the two filmmakers behind the indie hit The Peanut Butter Falcon from a few years ago. And it's also produced by Academy Award winning producers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Inspired by a real story, Los Frikis is a coming-of-age story set in early 90s Cuba where a group of punk rockers in search of freedom deliberately inject HIV in order to live at a government-run treatment home so they can create their own utopia - since they can't otherwise. There, in a world meant for isolation, they carve out their own anarchic utopia—an oasis of rock 'n' roll...

Hulu’s new Spanish-language series ‘La Máquina’ (2024) is a visually striking, dark dramedy that masterfully blends campy, over-the-top elements with moments of psychological tension. Set primarily in Mexico, the show follows an aging boxer and his crafty manager as they gear up for what could be their final match. What truly sets ‘La Máquina’ apart from typical sports dramas is its surreal tone and its nuanced portrayal of family dynamics. The series balances moments of absurdity with heartfelt interactions, creating a unique blend of suspense, humor, and emotional depth. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal,...

A sports drama film or series typically follows the story of a protagonist who has chosen to swim upstream and carve an identity for themselves in a world where they are often regarded as an underdog. In this sense, the sport becomes the medium by which this individual reveals deeper personal growth, that which had been hidden potential, and resilience. In most cases, the narrative of the protagonist navigates various challenges in and out of the field as they undergo trials with perseverance, self-discovery, and societal pressures that have a way of shaping their experience. The first Spanish-language original series from Hulu, La Máquina, directed by Gabriel Ripstein, treads a similar territory by following the story of an aging pugilist. But every punch lands in the wrong places. With an underutilized structure, the series fails to render an effective narrative, with one growing increasingly disconnected from the characters and their stakes equally.

About 20 years ago, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diega Luna collaborate on Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Y tu mama también’. This tantalising portrait of youthful energy helped all their careers soar higher. Now, the two actors have reunited on ‘La Máquina’, a boxing drama series on Hulu that follows an ageing boxer and his manager and close friend. It explores the corruption in this profession while offering a journey through the minds of their characters. Besides Garcia Bernal and Luna, the miniseries also stars Eiza Gonzalez, Lucia Mendez, Karina Gidi, and Andres Delgado in key supporting roles.

Spoilers Ahead

La Máquina (Hulu Miniseries) Recap:

‘La Máquina’ on Hulu is a two-hander sports drama that revolves around an ageing boxer and his manager trying to revive his career. Gael Garcia Bernal plays the titular boxer character whereas Diego Luna plays the manager.

Episode 1: A Little Play

Initially, we get introduced to its...

Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have been friends since they were boys growing up in Mexico City, and they experienced a major career breakout together starring in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 coming-of-age road trip film Y Tu Mamá También. Given that shared past, you might expect them to share the screen often, in the same way that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have across their careers. Instead, they’ve only starred in two other films together, most recently back in 2012’s Casa di mi Padre. So their new Hulu miniseries,...

Hulu’s boxing series La Máquina begins not with glimpses of in-ring action, but with the drama taking place immediately around it. The camera whips through the crowds of entertainers, security guards, and personnel found backstage, all desperately trying to get things in order before the lights go down and the entrance music for the fight plays.

Eventually, we’re brought to the main man himself, Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna (Gael García Bernal), a veteran boxer known for his grit and determination. La Máquina carries itself with the same relentless energy: From the movements of the camera to the colors and the outsized personalities of the characters themselves, everything about it is vibrant and alive.

Esteban looks the part of the perfect prizefighter, though his hair is graying around the temples. He has the slightly gawky, boyish charm you find in many top athletes, perhaps the result of a life...

“Los Frikis,” the Spanish-language film from producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller and directors Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson, has landed U.S. distribution from Wayward/Range releasing and will open in select markets, including L.A., New York, and Miami, on Dec. 25, 2024.

The film marks directing duo Schwarz and Nilson’s follow-up to their critically acclaimed drama “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (2019), which earned them a DGA nomination for outstanding directorial achievement for a first-time feature film. Produced by Academy Award-winning filmmakers Lord and Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), it features a stellar Latino cast, including Adria Arjona (“Hit Man”) who also executive produces, Héctor Medina (“Viva”), Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García and newcomer Eros de la Puente.

Inspired by true events, the film follows a young man, Gustavo, in 1990s Cuba as he idolizes his older brother Paco and his punk bandmates — the “Frikis.” As oppression and extreme poverty grip Cuba,...

Un boxeador al borde del abismo. © Disney Plus+

Disney Plus+ ha publicado el primer tráiler y póster de La Máquina, un drama deportivo del director Gabriel Ripstein (600 millas).

La Máquina sigue al boxeador Esteban «La Máquina» Osuna (Gael García Bernal), que atraviesa una mala racha en su carrera tras una devastadora pérdida. Por suerte para él, su manager y amigo Andy Luján (Diego Luna) está decidido a ayudarle a volver a la cima. Pero aparece una misteriosa organización criminal y lo que está en juego en esta revancha se convierte en una cuestión de vida o muerte. Además de luchar por volver al cuadrilátero, Esteban debe lidiar con sus propios demonios personales y proteger a su familia, incluida su ex mujer Irasema (Eiza González), una periodista enemistada con el lado oscuro del mundo del boxeo.

La miniserie de seis episodios está protagonizada por Gael García Bernal (La maldición del hombre lobo...

"If we're doomed, we're doomed together." Hulu has unveiled an official trailer for a new series titled La Máquina (which just translates to The Mask) created by TV writer Marco Ramirez. It's also produced by and stars Gael García Bernal & Diego Luna through their own production company, with a streaming debut this October on Hulu. "Winning has a price." The sports series follows an aging boxer whose crafty manager secures one last shot at a title - with a fight coming up in 12 weeks. But if they want to make it to fight night, they must navigate a mysterious underworld force and the boxer's own ailing mind... The cast features Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Eiza González, Jorge Perugorría, Andrés Delgado, and Karina Gidi, Dariam Coco + Lucía Méndez. This really makes me want to recommend Gael García Bernal's wrestling film Cassandro. The series looks pretty generic until the psychological thriller elements kick in.

Mexican actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna will star together in an upcoming boxing series coming to Hulu. Titled “La Máquina,” the six-episode drama tells the story of boxer Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna and his manager Andy Lujan. García Bernal plays Osuna, an aging fighter trying to make a comeback after a big loss. Luna takes the role of Lujan, Osuna’s friend who is helping orchestrate his return to the ring.

The series takes viewers inside the high-intensity world of boxing. It follows Osuna as he deals with struggles both in and out of the ring. As his career winds down, Osuna must make tough choices about his final fight. Pressure grows from many sides, including a criminal group demanding he throw the match.

Beyond the sports storyline, Luna said the series aims “to talk about issues that matter.” It will offer broader commentary on their world and society.

Hulu shared the official trailer and key art for La Máquina, the streaming service’s first-ever Spanish-language Original series that will debut on October 9, 2024.

The drama series stars Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Eiza González, Jorge Perugorría, Andrés Delgado, Karina Gidi, Dariam Coco, and Lucía Méndez.

After a devastating loss, Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna (Gael García Bernal) is at a low point in his boxing career. Lucky for him, his manager and best friend Andy Lujan (Diego Luna) is determined to get him back on top.

But when a nefarious organization rears its head, the stakes of this rematch become life or death. While struggling to mount a comeback, Esteban must also juggle his own personal demons and protect his family, including his ex-wife Irasema (Eiza González). This journalist finds herself on a collision course with the dark side of the boxing world.

The series is produced by Searchlight Television...

Un boxeador al borde del abismo. © Disney Plus+

Disney Plus+ ha publicado las primeras imágenes de La Máquina, un drama deportivo del director Gabriel Ripstein (600 millas).

La Máquina sigue al boxeador Esteban «La Máquina» Osuna (Gael García Bernal), que atraviesa una mala racha en su carrera tras una devastadora pérdida. Por suerte para él, su manager y amigo Andy Luján (Diego Luna) está decidido a ayudarle a volver a la cima. Pero aparece una misteriosa organización criminal y lo que está en juego en esta revancha se convierte en una cuestión de vida o muerte. Además de luchar por volver al cuadrilátero, Esteban debe lidiar con sus propios demonios personales y proteger a su familia, incluida su ex mujer Irasema (Eiza González), una periodista enemistada con el lado oscuro del mundo del boxeo.

La miniserie de seis episodios está protagonizada por Gael García Bernal (La maldición del hombre lobo), Diego...

Hulu has revealed a first look at the original drama series La Máquina, starring Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Eiza González, Jorge Perugorría, Andrés Delgado, Karina Gidi, Dariam Coco, and Lucía Méndez.

La Máquina is Hulu’s first-ever Spanish-language Original series and will debut on October 9, 2024.

After a devastating loss, Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna (Gael García Bernal) is at a low point in his boxing career. Lucky for him, his manager and best friend Andy Lujan (Diego Luna) is determined to get him back on top.

But when a nefarious organization rears its head, the stakes of this rematch become life or death. While struggling to mount a comeback, Esteban must also juggle his own personal demons and protect his family, including his ex-wife Irasema (Eiza González), a journalist who finds herself on a collision course with the dark side of the boxing world.

The series is produced by Searchlight Television...

Cuba’s Jorge Perugorría, best known for his career-launching perf in the Oscar-nominated “Strawberry & Chocolate,” “Slumdog Millionaire” line producer Tabrez Noorani and ‘The Iceman’ helmer Ariel Vromen have boarded Havana-set “Malecón” as executive producers.

Its producer, Flavio Florencio, director-writer of the multi-winning documentary “Made in Bangkok,” is attending Ventana Sur.

The debut feature of Madrid-born Carlos Larrazabal, “Malecón” will be having a special screening as a work-in-progress at the Havana Film Festival, which runs Dec. 8-17.

Shot entirely in Havana by Dp Gevorg Gev Juguryan, the drama follows Elvis (played by César Domínguez) who returns to the Cuban capital after serving a 10-year sentence in prison for killing his abusive stepfather.

His best friend Martin (Omar Rolando) helps him in his struggle to reintegrate himself into society, but things get complicated when he encounters his childhood sweetheart, Yuli (Camila Rodhe) and her husband, a key figure in Havana’s criminal underworld.

Sundance and SXSW programmers will likely be keeping an eye out on the status of Los Frikis – a raw, true story-type drama that might be full of hope and dread and that would have gone into production in late 2021. The tandem of Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz who saw their The Peanut Butter Falcon make waves at SXSW in 2019 are behind the real-life portrait. For this sophomore feature, the team decided to take their raft over into a story deep into some marginalized Cubans. This is lined up with Héctor Medina, Eros de la Puente, Jorge Perugorría and Adria Arjona – who also joined as a producer.…...

Are you a fan of the talented and beautiful Ana de Armas? From her humble beginnings in Cuba to her breakout role in Hollywood, Ana de Armas has quickly become one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry. In this article, we’ll be taking a stroll down memory lane and listing all of Ana de Armas’ movies in chronological order.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just discovering her work, this guide is for you. So, sit back, relax and get ready to take a journey through the career of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars with the “Ana De Armas all movies list. From her early work to her most recent films, we’ve got all of Ana de Armas’ movies covered. Trust us, you don’t want to miss a single one of her performances, so check out this Ana De Armas all-movies list and...

Natasha Rothwell has landed her first major series after striking a rich pact with Disney.

Her comedy How to Die Alone, which she will write, star in and co-showrun, has scored a series order from Onyx Collective and will air on Hulu.

Related: 2022 Hulu Pilots & Series Orders

It comes after The White Lotus star signed an overall deal last year under her banner Big Hattie Productions with ABC Signature, which produces the series for Onyx.

Related Story Hulu Orders Eight-Episode Limited Series 'Under The Bridge' Related Story 'La Máquina': Lucía Méndez and Jorge Perugorría Join Hulu Limited Series; Karina Gidi, Raul Briones, and Luis Gnecco To Recur Related Story 'We Were The Lucky Ones': Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi Join Hulu Limited Series

The eight-part, half-hour series follows Melissa (Rothwell), a fat, Black neurotic who’s never been in love. After a comical brush with death, she refuses to settle for...

Exclusive: Lucía Méndez and Jorge Perugorría have been cast as series regulars in La Máquina, the Hulu limited series that follows an aging boxer (Gael García Bernal) whose crafty manager (Diego Luna) secures him one last shot at a title.

Karina Gidi, Raul Briones, and Luis Gnecco have also joined the project in heavily recurring roles. La Máquina is produced by Searchlight Television, 20th Television, and Bernal and Luna’s La Corriente del Golfo. It will stream on Disney’s Dtc platforms as a Hulu Original in the U.S. Marco Ramirez (Daredevil) serves as executive producer and showrunner, with Bernal, Luna, Gerardo Gatica, Leandro Halperín, Adam Fishbach, and Kyzza Terrazas onboard as executive producers. Gabriel Ripstein will direct.

Méndez will play Josefina, a woman from humble means but has pushed her way into upper class society. She smothers her son, Andy (Luna), constantly commenting on...

A new and ambitious Ibero-American industry event, Iberseries Platino Industria, runs Sept. 27 thru Oct 1 with a slew of activities broken into eight thematic sections: Financing and Business Models; Conversations with Platforms and their Studios; Industry Talks; Creativity; Market Intelligence; Keynotes and Masterclasses; Audiovisual Arts as an Educational Tool; and Synergies between Tourism and Audiovisual Financing.

Some of Spain, Portugal and Latin America’s biggest names in entertainment are set to participate in the Madrid-based event, including director Alejandro Amenábar (“The Others”), Latido Films’ Antonio Saura, Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba (“Belle Epoque”), Colombian actor-producer Manolo Cardona, Cuban actor-director Jorge Perugorría, Icaa general director Beatriz Navas and actors Marina de Tavira (“Roma”) and Paulina Gaitán (“Narcos”), among many others.

The five-day event precedes the eighth edition of the Ibero-American Platino Awards (Premios Platinos) to be held on Oct. 3 in Madrid an in-person ceremony once more after being relegated online last year.

The...

Laurent Cantet, director of The Class, zeroes in on a Havana roof terrace for this wistful chamber piece in which old friends meet up to drink, reminisce and exhume old secrets

Laurent Cantet set the seal on his pre-eminence by winning the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2008 with the tough school drama Entre les Murs, or The Class; and then his English-language debut Foxfire (2012), adapted from Joyce Carol Oates, was respectfully received. But this is a very low-key chamber piece from 2014, about a reunion of middle-aged friends, which of course turns out to be an autumnal, bittersweet affair involving the exhumation of painful secrets. It is set mostly in one spot: a roof-terrace overlooking Havana’s Malecón, and has evidently grown out of Cantet’s contribution to the portmanteau movie 7 Days in Havana (2012).

Five old Cuban comrades meet up for drinks: troubled Tanía (Isabel Santos), boisterous neocapitalist Eddy (Jorge Perugorría...

“Introducing the Academy class of 2016,” reads the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences website announcement of its invited new members Wednesday. And while joining that august organization is a singular honor, many say they were surprised to learn of their inclusion — mainly because they hadn’t applied for membership. Traditionally, that’s a laborious process that can take years before you get recommended by peers, vetted by your branch, and finally invited. Every year it’s a shock that someone like, say Tina Fey, IFC’s Arianna Bocco, last year’s Oscar-winner Margaret Sixel (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), or Oscar marketer Lisa Taback, wasn’t already a member.

Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem

At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...

“Introducing the Academy class of 2016,” reads the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences website announcement of its invited new members Wednesday. And while joining that august organization is a singular honor, many say they were surprised to learn of their inclusion — mainly because they hadn’t applied for membership. Traditionally, that’s a laborious process that can take years before you get recommended by peers, vetted by your branch, and finally invited. Every year it’s a shock that someone like, say Tina Fey, IFC’s Arianna Bocco, last year’s Oscar-winner Margaret Sixel (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), or Oscar marketer Lisa Taback, wasn’t already a member.

Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem

At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...

Mongrel International has licensed UK rights in Cannes to Viva, last season’s Irish foreign-language Oscar submission.

Studiocanal and Element Pictures Distribution have acquired all UK and Irish rights to the Irish-Cuban film in a joint distribution venture.

Paddy Breathnach’s story centres on a Havana-based youngster who aspires to be a drag queen and gets his dreams crushed when his estranged macho father returns from prison. Mark O’Halloran wrote the screenplay.

Jorge Perugorria stars with Luis Alberto Garcia and Hector Medina. Magnolia released Viva in the Us on April 29.

Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan of Treasure Entertainment produced.

Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the Sundance Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival hit “Viva”! Shot entirely in Havana, the film was directed by an Irish director and was Ireland’s official Oscar entry last year!

“Viva,” which opens in Chicago on May 6, 2016 and is rated “R,” stars Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría and Luis Alberto García from director Paddy Breathnach and Mark O’Halloran. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.

To win your free passes to “Viva” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds...

Viva Magnolia Pictures Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for CompuServe ShowBiz. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: A- Director: Paddy Breathnach Written by: Mark O’Halloran Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García, Renata Maikel Machin Blanco, Luis Manuel Alvarez Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 1/26/16 Opens: April 29, 2016 Fathers want what’s best for their sons, but sometimes, while they mean well, they cannot accept what their boys are really like. Such is the case in Paddy Breathnah’s “Viva,” which boasts a sensational performance for Cuban actor Héctor Medina in the title role. If you doubt that his dad, a former boxer who served jail time for killing a man, would [ Read More ]

The post Viva Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Family and identity collide in the upcoming "Viva," a queer-positive story set in the slums of a Havana, where a father and son try to find some level of acceptance for each other. It's a film that debuted to a warm reception at the Telluride Film Festival last fall, and was Ireland's entry at this year's Oscars, and today we have an exclusive clip from the picture. Starring Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García, Héctor Medina, Luis Manuel Álvarez, Renata (Maikel Machín Blanco), and Laura Alemán, directed by Paddy Breathnach, and executive produced by Benicio Del Toro, the story follows a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. "Viva" opens in.

The article below, written by People En ESPAÑOL's editor in chief, Armando Correa, originally appeared on PeopleenEspanol.com.I'm a terrible Cuban. One of the worst. I spent 17 years without setting foot on the island where I was born, I avoid the unending debates about Cuba and I'm aware of what’s happening in that part of world only when New York newspapers or newscasts mention it, which is almost never. From the time I left in 1991, Cuba has been a terrible nightmare for me. So, when Cevin Bryerman, vice president and editor of Publishers Weekly, told me last summer...

The article below, written by People En ESPAÑOL's editor in chief, Armando Correa, originally appeared on PeopleenEspanol.com.I'm a terrible Cuban. One of the worst. I spent 17 years without setting foot on the island where I was born, I avoid the unending debates about Cuba and I'm aware of what’s happening in that part of world only when New York newspapers or newscasts mention it, which is almost never. From the time I left in 1991, Cuba has been a terrible nightmare for me. So, when Cevin Bryerman, vice president and editor of Publishers Weekly, told me last summer...

Transporting us to a richly detailed Cuba, Viva tells the story of Jesus (Héctor Medina), a meek hairdresser whose clients include drag queens at a local Havana nightclub and elderly women who don’t have enough to pay him. With his mother having passed away and his estranged father in prison, he gets by on his own, yet is struggling to break out of his shell and genuinely express himself. While this story’s structure is certainly one we’ve witnessed before, Irish director Paddy Breathnach brings an emotional authenticity through a compassionate touch.

Jesus’ closest friends are the locals that attract tourists and a neighborhood “whore” — as one of his clients calls her — who takes advantage of his local dingy apartment, complete with a tattered mattress. One evening, when she leaves behind her lipstick, Jesus applies it; with a few glances into the mirror, his newfound dreams of participating...

"Why is everyone on this fucking island addicted to drama?" the all-knowing Mama (a superb Luis Alberto Garcia) moans.

Mama is the owner of a Havana gay bar featuring chintzy drag performers who gesticulate to emotional diva tunes and who, when the show's over, whore a little on the side. That's part of the setting for Viva, Ireland's Spanish-language submission for this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Having strutted its way onto a list of nine finalists -- which will eventually be whittled down to a mere five -- Viva showcases nothing a bit Irish onscreen, not even a high kick filched from Michael Flatley. And although some of the shooting was done on the Emerald shores, possibly interior shots, all the Erin-Go-Bragh action is off screen: Paddy Breathnach, director; Mark O'Halloran, screenwriter, and so forth and so on. (There's also a dash of Mexican for added excitement:...

With over 80 films in contention, Ireland was one of the few countries to make the initial shortlist Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars. While it’s usually up in the air when one will actually get a chance to see some of these films in the United States, Paddy Breathnach‘s Viva will get a release in less than a month and today we have a new trailer.

Also set to screen at the Sundance Film Festival towards the end of the month, the story follows a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Starring Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García, Héctor Medina, Luis Manuel Álvarez, Renata (Maikel Machín Blanco), and Laura Alemán, check out the beautiful trailer and poster.

Viva stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers,...

The entire Academy Awards endeavour seems to expand every year, as more and more often, shortlists are announced during the behind-the-scenes nominations process, ahead of the final nominations announcement. While that tends to make the awards season feel even longer, it does much to raise the profile of films that might otherwise be little noticed by general audiences – including those submitted to the Academy for consideration as Best Foreign Film.

The Academy accepts one submission from each country, and the deadline for those submissions was October 1st this year. The selection process then has two phases. In the first phase, the Foreign Language Film Award Committee screens each submission, and selects six for shortlisting, with an additional three selected by the Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee. This set of nine films is then announced as the shortlist, and this is the announcement we have seen today.

The shortlisted films...

Sundance 2016 is fast approaching. Last week we posted the movie lineup of Midnight and Competition film selections. We now have the complete lineup for the premieres in both the feature film and documentary categories. We also have their selections for the Spotlight and Kid films. I've also included a list of special events.

There are a lot of great films on this list that I'm excited about seeing because of the incredible talent involved. Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella star in Captain Fantastic; Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams star in Certain Women; Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates and Danny Glover star in Complete Unknown; Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez star in The Fundamentals of Caring; John Krasinski directed a film called The Hollars which he stars in with Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto Copley, and Charlie Day; Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has made a new...

Read More: Telluride Review: 'Viva' Finds a Familiar Queer Dilemma in Cuba Magnolia Pictures won't be releasing Paddy Breathnach's "Viva" until February 2016, but Indiewire is excited to tease the upcoming film with a new exclusive poster. The film played at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year and was selected as the Irish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. Set in Cuba, the drama stars Hector Madina as Jesus, a hairdresser for a troupe of drag performers in Havana who dreams of being a performer himself. When he finally gets his chance to be on stage, a stranger emerges from the crowd and punches him in the face. The stranger is his father Angel (Jorge Perugorría), a former boxer who has been absent from his life for 15 years. As father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, "Viva...

Kate Plays ChristineThe lineup for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 21 -31, has been announced.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONAs You Are (Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, USA): As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson. World Premiere The Birth of a Nation (Nate Parker, USA): Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr. World PremiereChristine (Antonio Campos,...

Top brass at the Park City festival have rounded out the feature line-up with a dazzling selection on paper that includes new work from Asif Kapadia and other returning alumni such as Todd Solondz, Taika Waititi and Joshua Marston.Scroll Down For Full List

Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.

The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.

The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

The Spotlight...

Top brass at the Park City festival have rounded out the feature line-up with a dazzling selection on paper that includes new work from Asif Kapadia and other returning alumni such as Todd Solondz, Taika Waititi and Joshua Marston.Scroll Down For Full List

Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.

The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.

The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

The Spotlight...

"Viva" is Ireland's Official Submission in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards. Isa: Mongrel International. U.S. Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

Authenticity is what filmmakers strive for when their characters are grounded on real life hardships and situations. To be able to capture a cinematic version of truth and put it up on the screen is an accomplishment not many can claim. The search for this dramatic honesty becomes immeasurably more elusive when dealing with experiences that are foreign to us, those that take place in places far away from our comfort zone, and where people face daily life in ways that could seem unfathomable for outsiders. It’s due to fact that he successfully created a truly authentic film under those circumstances that Paddy Breathnach’s “Viva,” an Irish production set in Havana, Cuba, has been met with acclaim and admiration since its debut in Telluride this fall.

The idea of an Irish director making a film about Cuban drag performers could make many suspicious or dubious about his intentions or raise concerns about Cuban representation, but all these should be put to rest because in “Viva” Cuba shines with its own light in a vibrant manner that never hints at the fact that the film was crafted by foreign hands. It’s impeccably genuine.

The film’s protagonist, Jesus (Héctor Medina), a young gay man, discovers that the only time he is free from life’s pressures and struggles is when he is on stage transformed into Viva, his beautiful alter ego that bares her soul on stage lip-syncing to classics songs of unattainable love and raw pain. His dream, however, clashes with his alcoholic father’s standards of masculinity. Angel (Jorge Perugorría), a macho ex-boxer who spent several years in prison and who was never part of Jesus’ life, returns to impose restrictions on how his son can live his life. Their mutual need for affection, their financial instability, and their opposing views create constant confrontations as they seek to reach common ground.

“Viva” is a striking blow of emotion that disarms you with the unflinching heartbreak of the musical performances, the tragic humor of its world, and the passionately nuanced acting on display. Here is our conversation with the Breathnach on the peculiarities of making an Irish film in Cuba, his love for visceral transformation, and finding one’s identity both individually and within those who we accept as family.

"Viva" will open in theaters in U.S. through Magnolia Pictures by on February 5th, 2016

Carlos Aguilar: What sparked your interest to make a film about this particular type of performers in a country like Cuba ? One of your producers, Robert Walpole, has mentioned the idea came from a show you attended while visiting the island.

Paddy Breathnach: The film had a couple starts. What Rob talked about was the genesis of our desire to make a film in that world. There was a moment that evening when a performer got up on stage and was singing this incredible and emotional song. We had been talking to two women sitting beside us. One of them started crying and I turned to her and said, “Why are you crying?” She said, “That’s my brother, and this is the only time he is happy, when he is on stage.” I thought, “That’s a world that’s interesting. There is something about that world that I have to explore more. “ The visceral power of that performer miming to these wonderful songs, the effect that it has on family, and what’s behind the performance, that’s what was very interesting.

That was the genesis of my interest in doing something in that world, and then we went and got Mark O'Halloran, the writer. Mark writes in a very authentic and realistic way, his research would be meticulous, and he has very fine intuitive senses. He had a sense of responsibility towards portraying this culture in the right way. He wouldn’t take it lightly and he has the instincts to know when he is not doing that or when he is stepping right on the mark. I went over to Cuba with him quite a few times to do research. Then he’d write, and then we’d go back to do more research on that world. We talked to a lot of the performers. I filmed a lot of those performances and the songs being performed. I built up a library that included the type of music that I wanted, the nuances those performances had, why they were powerful, and why I liked them. There was a lot of research done in advance.

The story, the dialogue, and the performances feel incredibly authentic. Did you have any fears or hesitation about the challenges of crafting a film in a foreign language and in a foreign country?

Paddy Breathnach: There is still trepidation about going into something like this. Once it was done we delivered the script to Cuban talent for the translation process - it was written in English. We wanted to make sure that we hadn’t stepped on any landmines or that we weren’t inauthentic in some ways. They couldn’t believe that a Cuban hadn’t written this script. I was involved in the translation process as I’d spent some time learning Spanish and I knew the script backwards both in English and in Spanish. I knew the language of the film, and I could communicate that in Spanish. It felt I had a basis, but until I started working with the actors I was very conscious that I could have missed nuances and that there were certain things I could be blind to. I had to very careful about that.

Once the audition process started it became clear to me that 90% of it was instinct and intuition. My choices and judgments were always the same as the casting directors. We chimed on that and I knew that I was able to make certain judgments in the right way. I felt confident about my judgments. There were some areas, particularly with humor, where they might be some difficulty in the translation. If you know there is something that isn't working about the scene - even if you don't know what it is - or if there is an element missing, you dig into the line, you dig into what it's supposed to be, and you discover what that was. I ironed must of that out through the rehearsal and the audition process.

What was your approach while on set in terms of working with the actors? Did the language barrier influenced the way you interacted with them and in turn their performances?

Paddy Breathnach: I worked on a lot of the dialogue with the actors in terms of just conversations about what it was, what I felt it meant, and what the characters were. When it came to shooting I had done my work. I didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to construct the performances. Luckily I had very good actors and because of that it worked out well. I think it's difficult when you are directing in a language that isn't your first language when you have actors that aren’t good because then you need your language to construct that performance. With good actors you can say something to them in whatever language you have, engage with them, and instinctively they’ll understand what you are talking about. Good actors get up to speed on that very quickly and I found that to be the case here.

I found that I was able to just take a nuance and say something, like an optional choice, and it would come back to m. I understood that it had come back to me in the way that I wanted it to. Also I had a very good translator. The first Ad was also an interpreter, and sometimes I called on him. Equally, I discovered that actually my own body language and my own energy was as important as my definite in language. If I used an interpreter they missed my inflections and my feeling. As I said, with good actors, they read that and they know what you want. In any case, my Spanish was reasonably good at the time. I could work in it. I was nervous, but I began to learn that I didn’t need to be that nervous because I had a lot of tools that I could draw upon and the most important ones I had. I began to realize this in the audition process. I knew that it wasn’t going to be a disaster [Laughs].

The political and economic situation of the country is present and unavoidable. We are aware of it but it never becomes the focus of the film, which is what might happen when you make a film about such a politically charged place as Cuba. How did you work around this in order to make a humanistic film rather than a political one?

Paddy Breathnach: Domestic films have a voice in one way and then there are films that are made by people that come from outside and those are another type of cinema. Cuba has a romance about it and a certain atmosphere, and a lot of the times the films made by people who come from outside romanticize the country in a way that contains a lot of clichés. We very quickly said, “Ok, we are going to be careful about anything that possibly resembles a cliché.” Mark again, as a writer, would be very good at that. He has a strong intuition on that. We sort of avoided those moments.

I’m not a political filmmaker with a capital “P.” I came form a philosophy background in college and university and I was very interested in a particular philosopher called Herbert Marcuse, who was a political philosopher in many ways. However, his view was that the power of art is in the beautiful. It’s not in its overt ideas of what is political. It’s in its substance, in its sensuality of what characters desire to be. That’s more important than the political ideas around that. I don’t know if I completely hold to that, because of course certain films need to be political, but I wouldn’t be a political filmmaker with a capital “P.” I don’t have the ability to be that. My own tone would be to avoid that overt political calling and try and bury and charge those ideas into something that’s a little bit more in the substance of the story or the texture of the story.

At some point we thought we should call the film it “Transformista,” because that’s the name for Cuban drag artists. They are known as Cuban “transformistas.” This is a film about transformation. There is transformation in lots of different ways. It’s a film about a country that is changing and needs to change at a particular time. It very much needs to change in the context of generosity. If it’s a very rapid change and it’s a change that isn’t grounded in it’s own culture, it could end up being a very savage and dangerous change. Equally, if it doesn’t move forward through the generosity of the older generation, that younger generation, who may have been repressed in terms of their talents, won’t have the energy or the ability to push that through in a coherent way. It has to be a marrying of the past and the future for that change to develop. These were some of the ideas that I had in the background so they didn’t need to be in the foreground. It’s not a political film.

Tell me about your decision to not subtitle the lyrics of the songs in the performances. These verses are very profound and heartbreaking, but in a sense the performances speak for themselves emotionally. Did you feel subtitles would take the audiences away from the scene?

Paddy Breathnach: That’s a question that’s come up at festivals. It splits the audience. My answer, I think, wins over the audience generally, but there are still people who don’t agree and I might be wrong. The songs and the performances have a real visceral power and I felt that if they were subtitled you would be in the process of reading and not watching. You wouldn’t be completely present to the power of those performances and in a way the power of those performances is what drew me to make a film in the first place. I made the decision not to do that. Spanish speakers get a little bit of an extra element to it, and maybe in the future on whatever platforms the film is available you might be able to have the option to subtitle that part. Maybe a distributor will twist my arm, who knows. I wanted, particularly in the two final performances, to have that strong, visceral, physical, energy dominate and I didn’t want an interface between that and us. Even though you might think, “I want to know what he is singing about,” I think you feel it. It’s a very emotional film, so the feeling has to be unbridled.

What did you want to convey with such a stunning character like Viva, who is essentially Jesus’ alter ego? Viva is freer and happier version of himself. Viva also means alive in Spanish, which seems like a fitting description for how Jesus feels once he has transformed.

Paddy Breathnach: For me he is a character that has to find his voice in life. It’s not enough for him just to choose that voice. He has to find it in a way where he is both the master of this own individual identity but also of his group identity. He needs to know he has a place within the group because those two aspects of our identity are very powerful to us. He needed to have a sense of family and community and also a sense of his won distinctive individual voice. That’s what his journey is about, to try and reconcile those two things. In the end when he performs there is a sort of triumphalism about it even though there is a little bit of grief in the performance as well. Still, there is a sense of triumph that he’s married those two things. At that moment, in the very last couple frames, you see him and say, “He is Viva now.” At that point he is completely Viva. He’s become Jesus a little bit before that in a fuller way as well, but Viva exist as its own character at the end. This other character is now there. I talked a lot to Hector about it and the need for a progression. We had to arrive at that moment at end. He couldn’t be good too early. He had to still maintain some of Jesus in those performances early on, but by the end we had to release the full power of Viva. Luckily I had a very good actor who was able to make that journey.

Watching Héctor Medina's performance one could think that he comes from that world because it seems so natural and real, but I've heard his personal experience is nothing like Jesus'.

Paddy Breathnach: He is a straight guy who likes women a lot and who is very gregarious. He is the center of fun and likes to go out and party, but there is a part of him that’s like Jesus in the sense that he is a very good person. He is a good man. He is a very kind and descent person, I know that because of how he treated me and the other cast members. Generally he is just a descent person.

How difficult was that transformation for him as an actor? It's an emotionally demanding role that has two distinct sides to it.

Paddy Breathnach: For him initially there was a huge sense of fun about it because it meant it was a challenge and he had to go there. By the end of the shoot I think it was hard for him. There were a couple moments in particular. One was when we shot the finale. I had to reshoot a little bit of that because he peaked and spent himself emotionally too soon. He gave me the anger and grief the first time and the second time I got the contentment, the sort of sense of completion, and the triumph about it. I marry the two sequences. I pushed him and then he pushed himself more. He pushed himself so far emotionally that I think by the end of the last two or three days of the shoot he’d given everything to us. He is the sort of actor that wouldn’t talk too much about it. He goes deep into a place to get there. He’d go to a dark deep place.

There seems to be a recurring theme or concern regarding Jesus. It seems like he doesn't think he is a good person despite the fact that everyone reminds him how kind he is. He forgives his father, which is a great personal feat.

Paddy Breathnach: I don’t think he thinks he is bad, but there is a lack of confidence in himself. He doesn’t value his own voice and he doesn’t value his won pain. Maybe the goodness, or being a good boy, is mixed with being used. The other side of the coin is being used. He is willing to help people, he is willing to give, but he is used. It’s a double edge sword in that regard. But then as he develops that confidence his sense of himself is given worth and value and that encompasses his goodness. It gives him conviction and confidence. It’s important for him to treat his father with love, and because he does he enables the father to express his own emotional life to Jesus in a way that he wants to but is too inarticulate to do so. He frees his father and in doing so in the end allows himself to be freed because of that goodness. This lets him become the master of those two worlds: his group and his own identity.

Jorge Perugorría, who plays Jesus’ father Angel, was in an Academy Award-nominated Cuban film called “Strawberry and Chocolate” back in 1993. It's interesting to see him in this hypermasculine role here, which is the opposite of the character he played then.

Paddy Breathnach: Yes, he played the gay character in that film. I’d seen “Strawberry and Chocolate” and I looked at him and said, “I don’t know if he’ll ever do this,” because his name came up as a person of interest. I researched a few other films and I saw a film called “Guantanamera” that he made, which is by the same director Gutierrez Alea. He is like a Cuban George Clooney, this is like 20 years ago, and he is so handsome, but masculine as well. Suddenly I said, “Ok, I’ve seen him in this other film where he plays a gay character, and I’ve seen him in this now, so he is obviously a good actor and he can do it.” He also had that charm that you need when you are playing a character that is so horrible in many ways and who treats his son so badly. His language is rough, he is trough, and even brutish. You need that charm to be there because that way the audience hates him but they hope he’ll turn. That charm is what let that hope live and Jorge had that. He’s been working for a long time in Cuba and he is a successful actor, but it’s lovely to have this as a marker to his career that includes “Strawberry and Chocolate” and now this film. I think there is a nice journey between these two films. For the world audience to see him again I think it’s kind of a nice journey.

In terms of the cinematography, was the visual approach shaped by the limitations or constraints of shooting in Cuba regarding equipment or production facilities? There is definitely film production there, but tools are probably not as available as in countries where there is a larger industry.

Paddy Breathnach: We limited ourselves partially because we had a tight budget, so that was a restriction. We didn't want to load the cranes, dollies, tracks and all that. I said, "Ok, we don't need them." Luckily it makes it an easier type of shoot. It suited the aesthetics and the practicalities. I think when you are making a low budget movie the aesthetic has to honor the practicalities, because if you try to fight them it just doesn't work. You have to marry the two and choose a style that works. We tended to light 360. We used very fast lenses so we could shoot in most locations we were going to be and shoot in every direction, which allowed the actors great freedom. This allowed me to respond to the actors’ performance. My Dp, Cathal Watters, is also a very good handheld-cameraman in terms of reading actors as well and capturing little movements and nuances. He brought in a lot of those moments.

What about the locations? Did you use spaces and items that were already there or did you have to construct the character's world from scratch with your art department?

Paddy Breathnach: We didn't have a huge amount of money for the art department, but I also didn't want to spend money on the art department because I wanted to choose real locations. I wanted to shoot in real locations as much as possible and use the relationship between one apartment and another apartment. Where Cecilia lives and where Jesus lives they are just around the corner and you can make that journey. We do it in the film when he walks around. What we tended to do was clean things out a little bit in terms of de-propping spaces and be very specific about where we chose to put the props. I had a very good production designer who is excellent at set dressing as well. It was more about control. It wasn’t about big spends or getting lots of things. Also, in Cuba you could walk to somebody's house next door and they’d have like 20 table lamps that go from the 1930s to the 1950s. If those were here they'd be fetching thousands of dollars as collector’s items, but there they are available for people to use. There were a lot of resources on the ground that were available to us. It was about saying, "What style and what technique do we want that maximizes the value out of the place that we are in. “ It was an organic style.

All things considered, what would you say was the most difficult challenge, logistical or otherwise, about making the film on location in Cuba? Did the limitations helped your creative process in any way?

Paddy Breathnach: The biggest challenge for me was that going into it I didn't know how good the actors were going to be. Until I started auditioning I thought I was going to shoot it in a naturalistic style, and I might have gone even more naturalistic than I did if I hadn’t discovered how great the actors were. Once I discovered how good they were, I allowed the style to be a little bit more beyond complete naturalism because I just knew they would bring something special to that. I knew it was a challenge, but it also became a big opportunity. As soon as I realized that was there, it expanded the horizons of the film for me a lot.

There were definitely production problems in terms of transferring money from A to B. Also, in Cuba you can’t just walk down to a shop and buy costumes, but I really didn’t want to do that. I wanted costumes that somebody else had already worn. It suited the film. Small things we had to get in advance. One of the characters has tattoos and you can’t just walk down and buy tattoo transfer, so we had to make sure that came over from Ireland. Another thing were wigs. The things we found difficult to find there are the same things artists find difficult to get. Getting shoes, getting wigs, getting make up, those sort of things had to come from outside. We already knew that from our research because we’d go back and forth between Ireland and Cuba and bring stuff back as present for some of the drag performers because we understood they needed them. We knew they had value there. We already knew those sorts of things and factored that it.

I would say that there were more opportunities than challenges. The limitations completely worked for us. I was aware of them going into it and I knew we had to honor and find the opportunity within them. A lot of films I’ve seen made by people from outside tend to light Cuba in way that tries to double up on its colorfulness. They use color gels and all of sorts of lights that bring all these mucky colors in and that’s not what Havana is. It doesn’t look that way. They tend to over-light things. It’s over-lighting without a lot of big lighting equipment. It’s a weird thing. Trying to light too much with limited resources is an awful thing to do. We’d seen that problem and we tried not to make that mistake.

Would you say "Viva" is an Irish film, a Cuban film, a Cuban film seen through and Irish lens, or an Irish film about a Cuban story? What's your take on this relationship between the story and the talent behind the scenes?

Paddy Breathnach: I think every film becomes itself. It has its own journey. You make it and then the rest of the world will see what happens with it. It’s a very Irish film to the extend that it has an Irish director, an Irish writer, it was an Irish idea, and it’s Irish financed. It was conceived in Ireland and a couple of other key creators are Irish as well. But we are sort of vagabonds in the sense that people from small countries always travel. You use up your curiosity fairly quickly in a small country. You need to travel and go. It’s in the history of our country. We’ve gone to all sorts of places as a nation to find something interesting for ourselves. Even that in itself is quite an Irish thing, but I think the story is an important story in Cuban terms at the moment.

The Cuban cast and the Cuban crew completely embrace it as theirs, see it as theirs, and celebrate it as theirs, so I would like to think that it’s a sort of marriage between the two. I’d like to think that’s what it is. Now, I know that ‘s true of the crew and the cast, whether it’s true of the public we don’t know because they haven’t seen it. I’ll be very excited and nervous when they see it. It’s not important that they like it, but it’s important that it’s true. It’s important that they feel there is truth in it. They don’t have to agree with it, but I hope they feel that it doesn’t misrepresent them. I don’t want to steal their voice. It’s very important that we don’t rob their voice.

Ireland is a country that was colonized, so we understand that. We have an intuitive sense, and I think Cubans recognize that about us. We are both island countries and have both have a history of colonization. We just have an awareness of the importance of that. I think we’ve done Ok by doing that but I can’t know yet. Somebody else would have to say that, but I think there was a very fruitful relationship and genuine engagement between us both. We needed to get that and I think they were very generous to offer that to us.

Drag performers are often associated with satire, comedy or exaggerated personas, but the ones depicted in your film embrace a much more dramatic type of performance. They are really heartbreaking and raw. Is this what you think makes them different from similar acts in other countries?

Paddy Breathnach: They do have comedy there, but what really stroke me were two specific things. One was the emotional power of the performances and the particular type of songs, which aren’t all Cuban songs. Some of them are Puerto Rican, Argentine or Mexican songs. It was that raw emotional power that drew me. It’s something you see in the drag world there. We really liked that.

The other thing that I think is very interesting and unique I witnessed in one of my visits. I’d just got off the plane and went to a show, because I was hungry to see as many shows as I could. You don’t always know whether there were going to be any shows or not. I went to one that was sort of in a blue-collar suburb and blue-collar crowd, it was a small backward. They put up a red curtain and one spotlight and that was a theater. I thought the alchemy of transforming this ordinary backyard into a place of dreams, theater and magic by just putting one curtain and one spotlight, cut to the heart of transformation. It says something about how the human spirit can become something else and how it pushes on to become something else. It tell us about what is it about art that allows us to imagine beyond our here and now into something really special. That was something that I think their situation and circumstances brings to that world of drag that another country doesn’t have.

Their economic deprivation and the history of it needing to be clandestine, it doesn’t need to be clandestine anymore but when I started making the project it was clandestine, bring a certain power to that world. Singers like Lucecita Benitez, whose songs we wanted to use but we couldn’t clear them in the end, were the type of singers that I wanted to use. Maggie Carles was another one, and we actually used some her songs. These are many of the songs that Luis Alberto García's character, Mama, sings in the film. They are raw and powerful songs by women in their 40s talking about loss and plaintively asking questions, “Why did you do this to me?” and all those raw emotions. I love that about that world.

There are many Vivas in the world, people trying to discover who they are and a way to show to the world. Do you hope the film connects with people at a crossroads in this discovery?

Paddy Breathnach: I think so. I think there is part of that world that's about finding your own sexual identity, but I think that in a broader sense it’s about finding your place and being both yourself and also being able to be part of your family. Increasingly I think individual identity is important. We’ve gone through a period where the need to discover our own individual identities was so important, but I think we have to reconcile that with our community as well because it’s part of our identity. We are ourselves as individuals but we are also members of group whether that is nations, genders, or political groups. We belong to things in groups and that’s a really important instinct that we have. I think the film can appeal to people in that universal way.

There are several instances in which Jesus' clothing or even his umbrella resemble the colors of the Irish flag. Was this a small way to pay homage to your homeland or was it subconscious?

Paddy Breathnach: It isn’t actually [Laughs]. It wasn’t deliberate. It was about what colors would work in those places. If you look at the very beginning of the film there is a strange moment, which was the very first shot we took. Jesus is with Cecilia and she asks him to go out because she wants the apartment. Jesus is walking across a square just before he meets Don. As he walks, there is somebody, who isn’t an extra, coming towards the camera as we are panning with Jesus. This Cuban man was wearing a t-shirt that says "Ireland" on it. I didn’t do it! I thought to myself, “People are going to think I did this!” It was just weird.

The sequence that plays during the credits where Don, the male prostitute, reappears, tells us a lot about what a family could be and also about the lives this characters will continue to live. Was that an important final message you wanted to get across? I've also heard your daughter appears in the film.

Paddy Breathnach: She is in the film, at the very end of the film. She is the little baby. At the time she was eight months and she became like a mascot for the crew. At lunchtime everyday they hand her around. She knew them all. We scripted that scene, but I think we scripted it during the shot actually. Don, the character, is in the film s few times and I said “Wouldn’t it be great if he comes back and the next time around with a cast on his leg?” Then we thought, if we do it a second time then we had to finish with the guy,” so we gave him a neck brace. I always feel that when you finish a movie it’s always great to finish it with a bit of energy at the end, so that it gives people something to talk about. If you conclude the film too much in the film itself, it’s all answered. You want the audience to finish the film on their own. I wanted to say that there is life for these characters after the film, that there are different types of families, and that this world is changing. Although it’s a positive moment, partially we are also saying this character is still selling sexual favors. We are not saying that there are magic wands being waved and everybody can stop doing that. The truth is those necessities and the reasons they do it run deep. We wanted to end it on something positive and have that happy feeling about it, but at the same time you are also saying, “Well, some things have changed, but other things haven’t.”

The final performance is such a riveting moment. It's a triumphant scene, but it's also devastating. Viva wins her battle in a sense.

Paddy Breathnach: I’m very happy with that scene. That song is great.We did a take where he finishes defiant and I didn’t want it to be defiant. I wanted one that said, “I’ve arrived. I’m here.” I wanted that openness, because that’s what the triumph. Not that he wins, but that he wins by being himself and being open and truth to his emotional spirit. That’s the real triumph, that you can win by being truth to yourself.

"Viva" will open in theaters on February 5th, 2016...

The distributor has swooped on North American rights to Paddy Breathnach’s Irish foreign-language Oscar submission and plans a 2016 theatrical release.

Benicio Del Toro serves as executive producer on Viva, which premiered at Telluride at the start of the season. As previously announced Mongrel International handles sales outside North America and Arp Selection will distribute in France.

Mark O’Halloran wrote the script about a young gay man’s reconciliation with his disapproving father in contemporary Cuba. Héctor Medina, Luis Alberto García and Jorge Perugorría star.

Viva was co-produced by Nelson Navarro from Island Films in Cuba and was financed by the Irish Film Board, Treasure Entertainment and Windmill Lane Pictures.

Magnolia scp of acquisitions Dori Begley and vp of acquisitions John Von Thaden brokered the deal with Josh Braun of Submarine and Nate Bolotin of Xyz Films on behalf of the filmmakers.

“Paddy Breathnach has delivered a gem with Viva,” said Magnolia...

Adding to its Scandinavian awards slate of Oscar entries from Norway (disaster movie "The Wave"), Sweden ("A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence") and Denmark's "A War," Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to "Viva," a crowd-pleaser directed by Irish filmmaker Paddy Breathnach ("Man About Dog").  Set in colorful contemporary Havana, "Viva" follows a young hairdresser (Héctor Medina) who reluctantly takes back his alcoholic, ailing father (Jorge Perugorría) to live with him in the apartment he abandoned long ago. Not only does his father disapprove of his gay son, but he forbids him to perform in drag at a Havana nightclub run by his son's mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), unknowingly forcing him to hustle instead. This heart-tugger should play well for art-house audiences and Academy foreign voters.  Produced by Treasure...

Read More: Telluride Review: 'Viva' Finds a Familiar Queer Dilemma in Cuba Magnolia Pictures has picked up Paddy Brethnach's "Viva" with plans for a theatrical release. The film is Ireland's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and it received generally positive reviews following its premiere at Telluride this year. "Viva" is a family drama about a queer Cuban youth and his relationship with his father. Here is the official synopsis: "'Viva' stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. As father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other,...

Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2016: 'Viva' with Héctor Medina. Multicultural Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2016 submissions Nearly ten years ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences changed a key rule regarding entries for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar;* since then, things have gotten quite colorful. Just yesterday, Sept. 16, '15, Ireland submitted Paddy Breathnach's Viva – a Cuban-set drama spoken in Spanish. And why not? To name a couple more “multicultural and multinational” entries this year alone: China's submission, with dialogue in Mandarin and Mongolian, is Wolf Totem, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud – a Frenchman. And Germany's entry, Labyrinth of Lies, was directed by Giulio Ricciarelli, who happens to be a German-based, Italian-born stage and TV actor. 'Viva': Sexual identity in 21st-century Cuba Executive produced by Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), Viva tells the story of an 18-year-old Havana drag-club worker,...

Director Paddy Breathnach finds a set of strong performances from his Cuban cast for this feelgood film set in a seedy Havana

Irish director Paddy Breathnach is far from the first film-maker to seek inspiration in the lives of a troupe of drag queens, but with Viva, shot and set in Cuba, he calls on a set of remarkable performances to wring something vivid and often fresh out this narrative of redemption. Jesus is an 18-year old hairdresser living on his own in rundown Havana, scraping a living out a handful of elderly clients, but is drawn to the seedy glamour of the local drag queen bar. One afternoon, he finds a stick of lipstick left in his apartment by his friend, the neighborhood tart, who has borrowed the place because there’s nowhere else she can find to have sex with her boxer boyfriend. Jesus paints his lips red,...

Director Paddy Breathnach finds a set of strong performances from his Cuban cast for this feelgood film set in a seedy Havana

Irish director Paddy Breathnach is far from the first film-maker to seek inspiration in the lives of a troupe of drag queens, but with Viva, shot and set in Cuba, he calls on a set of remarkable performances to wring something vivid and often fresh out this narrative of redemption. Jesus is an 18-year old hairdresser living on his own in rundown Havana, scraping a living out a handful of elderly clients, but is drawn to the seedy glamour of the local drag queen bar. One afternoon, he finds a stick of lipstick left in his apartment by his friend, the neighborhood tart, who has borrowed the place because there’s nowhere else she can find to have sex with her boxer boyfriend. Jesus paints his lips red,...

Exclusive: The team representing Paddy Breathnach’s Havana-set drama has come together and will present the film to market buyers in Toronto next month.

Mongrel Media International will handle international sales while Xyz Films and Submarine will represent Us and Canadian rights. Arp Selection will distribute Viva in France.

The Ireland-backed production shot entirely in Cuba and stars newcomer Héctor Medina as a hair and make-up artist for drag acts who harbours a secret desire to perform.

The youngster eventually learns from a grande dame how to become a performer himself, only to face a choice between pursuing his dream and reconnecting with his father, newly released from prison.

Luis Alberto García Jorge Perugorría also star in the film.

Breathnach, whose credits include I Went Down and Man About Dog, directed from a screenplay by Mark O’Halloran.

Rebecca O’Flanagan and Robert Walpole of Treasure Entertainment produced and the Irish Film Board co-financed with Windmill Lane Pictures and Treasure Entertainment...

Exclusive: The team representing Paddy Breathnach’s Havana-set drama has come together and will present the film to market buyers in Toronto next month.

Mongrel Media International will handle international sales while Xyz Films and Submarine will represent Us and Canadian rights. Arp Selection will distribute Viva in France.

The Ireland-backed production shot entirely in Cuba and stars newcomer Héctor Medina as a hair and make-up artist for drag acts who harbours a secret desire to perform.

The youngster eventually learns from a grande dame how to become a performer himself, only to face a choice between pursuing his dream and reconnecting with his father, newly released from prison.

Luis Alberto García Jorge Perugorría also star in the film.

Breathnach, whose credits include I Went Down and Man About Dog, directed from a screenplay by Mark O’Halloran.

Rebecca O’Flanagan and Robert Walpole of Treasure Entertainment produced and the Irish Film Board co-financed with Windmill Lane Pictures and Treasure Entertainment...

On Wednesday, May 27th, Premios Platino's hosts Alessandra Rosaldo and Juan Carlos Arciniegas alongside actor Eugenio Derbez, as well as Elvi Cano (Director Egeda Us) and Gonzalo Elvira (Fipca Mexico) will announce the nominees for the Awards in Los Angeles, CA.

During the press conference Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo will announce the recipient of the Premio de Honor (Lifetime Achievement Award). In addition Rick Nicita, Chairman of the American Cinematheque, will accept a special Platino Award to The American Cinematheque for its contribution to Iberoamerican Cinema.

Produced by Egeda, in collaboration with Fipca, the Premios Platino of Iberoamerican Cinema was born with the vocation to establish itself as a major international ceremony, promoting Latin American cinema as a whole and transcending borders. It is one of the most important tools to promote and support our film industry and all the professionals who, day after day, put forth all their effort and commitment so that audiences can enjoy the best films.

The candidates for the 2nd Platino Awards (Premios Platino) were announced during the 18th Málaga Film Festival in Spain. 73 feature films and 18 Ibero- American countries compete for the final nominations in the 14 categories for this prestigious award. The competing films had to be commercially released or premiered in an A-List Film Festival during 2014. The final nominations will be announced tomorrow at the Andaz Hotel West Hollywood. The Premios Platino Award Ceremony will take place on July 18, 2015 at Starlite Marbella in Spain.

As part of the same event The Premios Platino has distinguished the Málaga Film Festival with a special award for its contribution to the circulation and promotion of Spanish and Ibero- American cinema.

Here is the list of preselected candidates in each category ahead of tomorrow's final nominations

Premio Platino for the Best Ibero-American Fictional Film

· "Cantinflas"

(Kenio Films) (Mexico).

· "Conducta" (Behavior)

(Instituto Cubano Del Arte E Industria Cinematográfica, Rtv Comercial) (Cuba).

· "El Mudo" (The Mute)

(Maretazo Cine, Urban Factory) (Peru, Mexico).

· "El Niño"

(Vaca Films Studio, S.L., Telecinco Cinema, S.A., Ikiru Films, S.L., La Ferme! Productions, El Niño la película, A.I.E.) (Spain).

· "La Danza de la Realidad" (The Dance of Reality)

(Camera One, Pathe Y Le Soleil Films) (Chile).

· "La Dictadura Perfecta" (The Perfect Dictatorship)

(Imcine - Instituto Mexicano De Cinematografía, Estudios Churubusco Azteca, S.A., Bandidos Films, Fidecine, Eficine 226) (Mexico).

· "La Isla Mínima" (Marshland)

(Antena 3 Films, S.L., Atípica Films, S.L. y Sacromonte Films S.L.) (Spain).

· "Libertador" (The Liberator)

(Producciones Insurgentes, San Mateo Films) (Venezuela, Spain).

· "Matar a un Hombre" (To Kill a Man)

(Arizona Production, El Remanso Cine Ltda) (Chile).

· "Mr. Kaplan"

(Baobab 66 Films, S.L., Salado Media, Expresso Films) (Uruguay, Spain).

· "O Lobo Atrás da Porta" (A Wolf at the Door)

(Tc Filmes, Gullane Filmes) (Brazil).

· "Os gatos não têm vertigens" (Cats Don't Have Vertigo)

(Mgn Filmes) (Portugal).

· "Pelo Malo" (Bad Hair)

(Sudaca Films, Hanfgarn & Ufer Filmproduktion, Artefactos S.F., Imagen Latina, La Sociedad Post) (Venezuela Peru, Argentina).

· "Refugiado"

(Gale Cine, Burning Blue, El Campo Cine, Staron Films, Bellota Films, Río Rojo Contenidos) (Argentina, Colombia).

. "Relatos Salvajes" (Wild Tales)

(Kramer & Sigman Films, El Deseo P.C - S.A.) (Argentina, Spain).

Premio Platino for Best Directing

Alberto Rodríguez (Spain), for "La Isla Mínima." Alejandro Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La danza de la Realidad." Álvaro Brechner (Uruguay), for "Mr Kaplan." António-Pedro Vasconcelos (Portugal), for "Os gatos não têm vertigens." Claudia Pinto (Venezuela), for "La Distancia más Larga." Damián Szifron (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Daniel Monzón (Spain), for "El Niño." Daniel Vega (Peru) and Diego Vega (Peru), for "El Mudo." Ernesto Daranas (Cuba), for "Conducta." Fernando Coimbra (Brazil), for "O lobo atrás da porta." Fernando Pérez (Cuba), "La Pared de las Palabras." Luis Estrada (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta." Mariana Rondón (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Miguel Cohan (Argentina), for "Betibú." Sebastián del Amo (Mexico), for "Cantinflas. "

Premio Platino for Best Actor

Benicio Del Toro (Puerto Rico), for Escobar. "Paraíso Perdido." Damián Alcázar (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta. Dani Rovira (Spain), for "Ocho Apellidos Vascos." Daniel Candia (Chile), for "Matar a un Hombre." Daniel Fanego (Argentina), for "Betibú." Edgar Ramírez (Venezuela), for "Libertador." Fernando Bacilio (Peru), "El Mudo." Ghilherme Lobo (Brazil), "The Way He Looks." Javier Gutiérrez (Spain), for "La Isla Mínima." Jorge Perugorría (Cuba), for "La Pared de las Palabras." Leonardo Sbaraglia (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Oscar Jaenada (Spain), by "Cantinflas." Salvador del Solar (Peru), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Viggo Mortensen (USA), for "Jauja." Wagner Moura (Brazil), for "Futuro Beach" .

Premio Platino for Best Actress

Angie Cepeda (Colombia), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Bárbara Lennie (Spain), by "Magical Girl." Carme Elías (Spain), for "La Distancia Más Larga." Elena Anaya (Spain), for "Todos Están Muertos." Érica Rivas (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Geraldine Chaplin (USA), for "Dólares de Arena." Isabel Santos (Cuba), for "La Pared de las Palabras." Julieta Díaz (Argentina), for "Refugiado." Laura de la Uz (Cuba), for "Vestido de Novia." Leandra Leal (Brazil), for "O Lobo Atrás da Porta." Maria do Céu Guerra (Portugal), for "Os gatos não têm vertigens." Martha Higareda (Mexico), for "Cásese Quien Pueda." Paulina García (Chile), for "Las Analfabetas." Samantha Castillo (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Silvia Navarro (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta. "

Premio Platino for Best Original Score

Adán Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La Danza de la Realidad." Antonio Pinto (Brazil), for "Trash. A esperança vem do lixo." Edilio Paredes (Dominican Republic), Ramón Cordero (Dominican Republic), Benjamín de Menil (Dominican Republic), for "Dólares de Arena." Federico Jusid (Argentina), for "Betibú" Gustavo Dudamel (Venezuela), for "Libertador." Gustavo Santaolalla (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Juan A. Leyva (Cuba), Magda R. Galbán (Cuba), for "Conducta." Julio de la Rosa (Spain), for "La iIsla Mínima." Mikel Salas (Spain), for "Mr Kaplan." Pedro Subercaseaux (Chile), for "Crystal Fairy y el Cactus Mágico." Ricardo Cutz (Brazil), "O lobo atrás da porta." Roque Baños (Spain), for "El Niño." Ruy Folguera (Argentina), for" Olvidados." Selma Mutal (Peru), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Vicent Barrière (France), for "La Distancia más Larga."

Premio Platino for Best Animated Film

"Até que a Sbórnia nos Separe" (Otto Desenhos Animados) (Brazil). "Dixie y la Rebelión Zombi" (Abra Prod. S.L.) (Spain) "El Ultimo Mago o Bilembambudín" (Fabula Producciones, Aleph Media S.A., Filmar Uno) (Argentina, Chile). "Historia de Cronopios y de Famas" (Prodarte) (Argentina). "La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato" (Ánima Estudios, S.A. De C.V.) (Mexico). "La Tropa de Trapo en la Selva del Arcoíris" (Continental Producciones, S.L, Anera Films, S.L., Abano Producions, S.L. La Tropa De Trapo, S.L.) (Spain, Brazil). "Meñique" (Ficción Producciones, S.L., Estudios De Animación Icaic) (Cuba, Spain). "Mortadelo y Filemón Contra Jimmy el Cachondo" (Zeta Audiovisual y Películas Pendelton) (Spain). "The Boy and the World" (Filme de Papel) (Brazil). "Pichinguitos. Tgus, la Película" (Non Plus Ultra) (Mexico, Honduras). "Ritos de Passagem" (Liberato Produçoes Culturais) (Brazil).

Premio Platino for Best Documentary Film

• "¿Quién es Dayani Cristal?" (Canana Films, Pulse Films Limited) (Mexico).

"2014, Nacido en Gaza" (La Claqueta Pc, S.L.Contramedia Films) (Spain). "Avant" (Trivial Media Srl, Tarkio Film) (Uruguay, Argentina). "Buscando a Gastón" (Chiwake Films) (Peru). "E agora? Lémbra-me" (C.R.I.M. Produçoes, Presente Edições De Autor) (Portugal). "El Color que Cayó del Cielo" (K & S Films) (Argentina). "El Ojo del Tiburón" (Astronauta Films, Gema Films) (Argentina, Spain). "El Río que Nos Atraviesa" (Ochi Producciones, Maraisa Films Producciones) (Venezuela). "El Sueño de Todos" (S3d Films, Tridi Films) (Chile). "El Vals de los Inútiles" (La Pata De Juana, Cusicanqui Films) (Chile, Argentina). "Invasión" (Apertura Films, Ajimolido Films) (Panama, Argentina). "Maracaná" (Coral Cine, S.R.L., Tenfield S.A.) (Uruguay, Brazil). "The Salt of the Earth" (Decia Films) (Brazil) "Paco de Lucía. La búsqueda" (Ziggurat Films, S.L.) (Spain) "Pichuco" (Puente Films) (Argentina).

Premio Platino for Best Screenplay

Alberto Rodríguez (Spain), Rafael Cobos (Spain), for" La Isla Mínima." Alejandro Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La Danza de la Realidad." Álvaro Brechner (Uruguay), for "Mr. Kaplan." Anahí Berneri (Argentina), Javier Van Couter (Argentina), for "Aire Libre." Carlos Vermut (Spain), for "Magical Girl." Claudia Pinto (Venezuela), for "La Distancia Más Larga." Damián Szifron (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Daniel Ribeiro (Brazil), for "The Way He Looks." Daniel Vega (Peru), Diego Vega (Peru), for "El Mudo." Ernesto Daranas (Cuba), for "Conducta." Fernando Coimbra (Brazil), for "O lobo atrás da porta." Luis Arambilet (Dominican Republic), for "Código Paz." Luis Estrada (Mexico), Jaime Sampietro (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta." Mariana Rondón (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Tiago Santos (Portugal) for "Os gatos não têm vertigens. "

Premio Platino for Best Ibero-American Fiction Debut

"10.000 Km," by Carlos Marqués- Marcet (Lastor Media, S.L., La Panda) (Spain). "23 segundos," by Dimitry Rudakov (Clever Producciones) (Uruguay). "Branco sai, preto fica," by Adirley Queirós (Cinco Da Norte Serviços Audiovisuais) (Brazil). "Ciencias Naturales," by Matías Lucchesi (Tarea Fina, Metaluna Productions) (Argentina). "Código Paz," by Pedro Urrutia (One Alliance Srl) (Dominican Republic). "Feriado" by Diego Araujo (Cepa Audiovisual S.R.L., Abacafilms, S.A., Lunafilms Audiovisual) (Ecuador, Argentina). Historias del Canal (Hypatia Films, Manglar Films, Tvn Films and Wp Films) (Panama). "La Distancia Más Larga," by Claudia Pinto (Castro Producciones Cinematograficas, S.L.U., Sin Rodeos Films C.A., Claudia Lepage) (Venezuela). "Las Vacas con Gafas," by Alex Santiago Pérez (Cozy Light Pictures) (Puerto Rico). "Luna de Cigarras," by Jorge Bedoya (Oima Films, Koreko Gua, S.R.L., Sabate Films) (Paraguay). "Mateo," by Maria Gamboa (Hangar Filmsdiafragma, Fabrica De Peliculas, Cine Sud Promotion) (Colombia). "Perro Guardian," by Bacha Caravedo, Chinón Higashionna (Señor Z)(Peru). "Vestido de Novia," by Marilyn Solaya (Icaic) (Cuba). "Visitantes," by Acan Coen (Sobrevivientes Films, Akira Producciones, Nodancingtoday) (Mexico). "Volantín Cortao," by Diego Ayala and Aníbal Jofré (Gallinazo Films) (Chile)...

Benicio Del Toro paid homage to his native Puerto Rico as he picked up the Donostia Award for lifetime achievement at the San Sebastian International Film Festival Friday. "I want to dedicate this award to the piece of land where I come from, where I was born, where I learned to throw rocks and had them first thrown at me," the actor said at the award ceremony held in the Kursaal conference center. "Where I learned to take risks and where I learned not to do things just to do them." Cuban actor-director Jorge Perugorria introduced the Oscar-

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Shared Tendencies: McGowan’s Debut an Understated Navigation

Palme d’Or winning director Laurent Cantet continues a tour outside of France with his latest feature, the carefully constructed and gently understated Return to Ithaca, which sees the director returning to Cuba, the same lieu where he previously contributed to the 7 Days in Havana ominbus. A dialogue driven character study of several old friends reuniting after some years, the film’s minimalist focus on the everyday dramas that inform our lives is very much in line with Cantet’s earlier pieces, which often deal with life’s tendency to be defined by occupation and income. Yet this marks the first time Cantet examines the perspective of a group of people preoccupied exclusively with happenings of the past.

On a rooftop terrace overlooking Havana’s ocean avenue, the Malecon, a quintet of five middle aged friends reunite for the first time since their youth.