Preview & UK Premiere/ Candelaria + Q&A at HOME
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
It’s Havana, 1994 and elderly couple Candelaria and Víctor Hugo are living hard, repetitive lives. Cuba is struggling under the US-embargo and Candelaria works long hours in hotel laundry, Víctor in a cigar factory. Conversations are sparse and dinners hard to come by – romance is the last thing on anybody’s mind. That is until Candelaria comes across a camcorder lost in some dirty hotel sheets.
Cinephiles are well aware of the power of the camera to make us see another way, to observe from a different perspective. As the couple begin to utilise their discovery, they rediscover each other. They film themselves dancing, kissing and making love as the distance of the lens reignites their passions. Of course, there is always a danger in capturing those most intimate moments, and the couple encounter a few roadblocks along the way. Nevertheless, Columbian director Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza’s film has been praised for its sweet and tender portrayal of love in a time of hardship.
Premiering in the UK at HOME as the opening film of this year’s ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival, Candelaria will be accompanied by a Q&A with director Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza.
