''The Cuban'' is a 2019 Canadian drama film, directed by Sergio Navarretta and written by Alessandra Piccione. The film stars

Ana Golja Muazana "Ana" Golja is a Canadian actress and singer. She is known for playing List of Degrassi: The Next Generation characters, Zoë Rivas in the teen dramas ''Degrassi: Next Class'' and ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Ariana Berlin in th ...

as Mina, a young woman working at a nursing home managed by her aunt Bano (

Shohreh Aghdashloo Shohreh Aghdashloo (, ; born Vaziri-Tabar, May 11, 1952) is an Iranian and American actress. She has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award. Followin ...

) while preparing for medical school, whose outlook on life is profoundly changed when she meets and befriends Luis Garcia (

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) was an American actor. He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway theatre, Broadway play ''Take a Giant Step.'' Gossett co ...

), a former Cuban jazz musician who has been living in the home since being diagnosed with dementia.Sheri Linden
"'The Cuban': Film Review"
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', July 28, 2020.

Plot

An unexpected friendship begins between an elderly Cuban musician with dementia who is brought out of his shell by his care worker, and a disillusioned young pre-med Afghan student named Mina. Through a shared loved of music, both their lives are changed.

Cast

In addition, Gabriel Sanchez Hernandez is seen throughout the film when Luis' addled memories conjure up the young Elena.

Release

The film premiered on December 7, 2019 at the

Whistler Film Festival The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) is an annual film festival held in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 2001, the festival is held the first weekend of December and includes juried competitive sections, the Borsos Awards, and the Pand ...

, where Celiana Cárdenas won the

Borsos Competition The Borsos Competition is the main awards program for Canadian feature films screening at the annual Whistler Film Festival. The award is named in memory of Canadian film director Phillip Borsos. Introduced for the first time in 2004, the juried ...

award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Film. It had its American premiere in February 2020 at the Los Angeles

Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, United States, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film ...

, winning the Audience Award for Narrative Feature and the Special Programmer's Award. In April 2020, the film aired on Super Channel as part of its special program of airing the films that had been slated to run at the

Canadian Film Festival The Canadian Film Festival, formerly known as the Canadian Filmmakers Festival, is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario. Showcasing a program of Canadian independent films, it is held in March of each year and usually runs for five days. ...

prior to its cancellation in light of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

."Postponed Canadian Film Fest finds new home on Super Channel"

Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; , ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a private, not-for-profit c ...

, April 20, 2020. The film was released at drive-ins and traditional theatres across Canada on July 28, 2020 and in virtual cinemas across the United States on July 31, 2020.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * *
The Cuban
' at

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...

2019 films Canadian drama films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Sergio Navarretta Black Canadian films 2010s English-language films 2010s Canadian films {{2010s-Canada-film-stub