Films
Comparison route: /completedfilms-fixed
Trailer
Synopsis
Recently escaped from reformatory, young Reinaldo struggles to get by in the streets of Havana in the late 90s, one of the worst decades for Cuban society. Hopes, disillusionment, rum, good humor and above all hunger, accompany him in his wanderings, until he meets Magda and Yunisleidy, survivors like himself. In one or the other’s arms, he will try to escape the material and moral misery surrounding him, living love, passion, tenderness and uninhibited sex to the limit.
- Screenplay:
- Agustí Villaronga, Pedro Juan Gutierrez
- Cinematography:
- Josep M. Civit
- Sound:
- Franklin Hernández
- Edit:
- Raúl Román
- Music:
- Joan Valent
- Cast:
- Ariosa Yordanka, Valdés Héctor Medina, Maykol David Tortolo
- Production Company:
- Tusitala Producciones Cinematográficas S.L., Pandora Cinema, Esencia Films, Bord Cadre films
Gallery
Director's statement
When I made "The King of Havana", I wanted to immerse the audience in the raw, visceral reality of survival on the margins of Cuban society during the Special Period. Following the young Reinaldo through poverty, desire, and violence, I explored how instinct and longing shape identity when hope feels scarce. I chose an unflinching, sensual style to reflect both the brutality and vitality of that world. **The film ultimately suggests** that even in extreme deprivation, there is an irrepressible hunger for love, pleasure, and dignity—yet that same hunger can also lead to self-destruction.