Candelaria

Havana, Cuba, 1994: The married couple Candelaria and Victor Hugo love each other deeply, but the harsh economic realities of Cuba loom large over their daily lives.

A dark colour palette and mostly static camera emphasise the impression of a society barely moving forward. Still, things improve when Candelaria finds a camera at the hotel where she works.

This discovery literally lights up Candelaria and Victor's existence. They start using the camera to document their lives and what goes on around them, and, through its lens, they also start seeing each other in a new light. Their relationship blossoms, and their minds are free to focus on something other than the grim realities surrounding them. So when the camera gets stolen, Victor ventures into Havana's criminal district, El Hormiguero, to get it back.

This text is from the Films from the South Festival, where the film had its Scandinavian Premiere.

"Amusing, outrageous and, ultimately, moving"
-Cineuropa

Candelaria won the Venice Days Award (Giornate degli Autori) at the 74th Venice International Film Festival