20 - Fresa Y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate, 1993), Directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

Summary

Cast

Diego, played by Jorge Perugorría

David, played by Vladimir Cruz

Nancy, played by Mirta Ibarra

Germán, played by Joel Angelino

Crew

Director: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío

Director’s assistant: Mayra Segura

Screenplay: Senel Paz

Photography: Mario García Joya

Cameras: Mario García Joya and Ernesto Granados

Music: José María Vitier

Sound: Germinal Hernández

Editing: Miriam Talavera, Osvaldo Donatién

Set: Fernando Pérez O’Reilly

Costume Design: Miriam Dueñas

Make-up: Graciela Crossas

Producer: Miguel Mendoza

Awards

Silver Bear, XXIV International Film Festival, Berlin, 1993

First Prize, Director (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea), Best Actor (Jorge Perugorría), Best

Female Backing Role (Mirta Ibarra), International Film Festival, Havana, 1993

Goya Award, Best Foreign Film in Spanish, Film Academy, Spain, 1995

Nominee, Best Foreign Film, Film Academy, Hollywood, 1995

Plot

A young man, David Alvarez, takes a young woman, Vivian, to a brothel for sex. She complains he’s like all men and interested in only one thing, which shames him, and he agrees to wait until they are married. The young girl gets married, but not to David; she gets married to an older man. While having his lunch David is chatted up by an older man, Diego, who invites him back to his apartment where he tries to seduce him. Vivian tells David that she would like an affair with him, but he refuses. David tells his friend, Miguel, a stalwart member of the Young Communist Youth Movement, about Diego, and Miguel tries to persuade him to shop Diego. Nancy, the member of the local Vigilante group – and also a prostitute – living in the same building block, slashes her wrists, and Diego takes her to hospital. David gives blood for Nancy’s operation. David goes to see Diego to find out about the art exhibition he is organising. Diego then finds out that Germán’s exhibition – because of its anti-revolutionary content – has been banned. He has a furious argument with Germán, and the latter ends up smashing all his art exhibits. Diego sends a letter complaining about the decision to ban the exhibition, an unwise act since – as we find out later – he loses his job. David gives some of his poems to Diego to look at; Diego pulls them to pieces, saying they are simply propaganda. Diego holds a Lezama Lima meal for David, and David sleeps with Nancy. Diego decides he has no choice but to leave Cuba.