Aging teacher Carmela has a special heart for pupils from broken homes and is challenged by the headmaster to follow up 12 year old Chala which is infatuated in Yeni. They are both poor, and... Read allAging teacher Carmela has a special heart for pupils from broken homes and is challenged by the headmaster to follow up 12 year old Chala which is infatuated in Yeni. They are both poor, and has severe home troubles.Aging teacher Carmela has a special heart for pupils from broken homes and is challenged by the headmaster to follow up 12 year old Chala which is infatuated in Yeni. They are both poor, and has severe home troubles.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 21 wins & 12 nominations total
- Mercedes
- (as Idalmis García)
- Mirta
- (as Anniet Forte)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
It baffles the mind how someone living 15-20 hours away by plane could craft a screenplay that feels like a snapshot of one's own childhood.
The world's state between 1930 and 2000 ought to be examined by sociologists. For though we speak different tongues, dwell in different lands and continents, and follow different faiths, we have grieved for the same things and rejoiced over the same. And yet, we have been hurt in identical ways.
My love for the cinema and literature of Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking nations is no coincidence. Conducta only deepens this affection and, as always, remains sorely underrated.
This is no teacher-student film in the vein of Hollywood's tiresome "White savior teaches humanity to immigrants" nonsense.
Cuba, Havana... Turkey, Istanbul...
The true protagonist of this tale is Saintly Teacher Carmela, a woman who decides for herself, filled with love and compassion. She teaches her students to be individuals like herself. She teaches them the most essential lesson of all: to be themselves, to resist, to fight - no matter who stands before them. By the film's end, you'll see that only two people truly walk their own path: Teacher Carmela and her student Chala. And perhaps also Chala's sweetheart Yeni and her proud father.
The moment when Yeni covertly gifts White Fang by Jack London to guide Chala away from dogfights and toward maturity filled me with delight. For those who know me are aware of my deep admiration for Jack London. That act, much like the priest giving Jean Valjean the candlesticks, was a gesture of profound nobility.
These four stand apart, for the rest are either pawns of the street's lawlessness or puppets of the state's rigid, loveless ideological rule.
Yeni's father's words linger in one's mind: "The worst masters rise from the ranks of servants."
This is a shining example of tender discipline between a teacher and a child, a crowning achievement for Cuban cinema. The acting is splendid, the continuity flawless. The camera roams Havana's streets with an almost poetic precision. Armando Valdés Freire, portraying Chala, delivers a remarkable performance for one so young. Likewise, Amaly Junco, playing the lovely Yeni, shines with equal brilliance. But most of all, I was captivated by Teacher Carmela. For it is evident she is one of those children who never truly grow up. Actress Alina Rodríguez understood this perfectly, and in the opening and closing scenes, her mischievous grin in response to Chala's call, without even turning her gaze, encapsulates the film in its entirety.
While editing the film's IMDb page, I noticed that Armando Valdés Freire, born in 2000, had not appeared in any other films. A profound loss for the world of cinema.
First it needs to be mentioned that the performance of the actors especially the play of the young actors is absolutely world class. Congratulations to the casting department.
The story, or better the multiple stories that are told during this 108 minutes fits. Every narrative makes sense. No minute is lost. Writing, acting, shooting, music - everything was created on a very high level.
But why is this film a statement.
This film offers for everyone and everywhere on this earth a lesson to learn. This lesson is created around Carmela, the teacher. It is a story of courage against cowardice. A story about real and authentic humanism against the brutality of indifference. The counterpart of the moving behavior of Carmela is played great by Silvia Águila in the character of the social worker Raquel.
This universal lesson is: It is easy to follow rules, laws and prejudices. Everywhere and in every social system we have those that hide themselves behind political correctness, adjusted unit and titles. In the name of nice labels as for example child care they bungle into the life of other humans. A bad but widespread behavior.
A great film. Highly recommended.
Did you know
- TriviaOfficial submission of Cuba to the best foreign language film category of the 87th Academy Awards 2015.
- Quotes
Carmela: Every year, I have a Chala in my class. None of them has ever been stronger than me, because, at heart, they are all children. There are four things you need to bring up a child: a home, a school, rigor and affection. But outside that door, there's the street, and a teacher needs to know what's waiting for them out there. In the past, life was clearer, and I knew what I was preparing my students for. Now, the only thing clear to me is what not to prepare them for.
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $147,731
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
