Viva

An Irish-Cuban co-production about a gay hairdresser in Havana who aspires to be a drag queen, but then his absent father re-enters the scene and forestalls his plans.

If I simply told you that premise, you might think that it's based on Mad Libs. Well, Paddy Breathnach's "Viva" (Ireland's 2015 submission to the Academy Awards as Best Foreign Language Film) is part character study, part look at life in Cuba in the 21st century. The movie goes deep into the protagonist's (Héctor Medina) psyche in a society still trying to come to grips with a history of homophobia. At the same time, we see the dilapidated Havana, a symbol of Cuba's economic status quo even as it continues to resist US sanctions (it was only in 2015 that Obama reopened relations with Cuba, only to see Trump suspend them in 2017).

Knowing that this was an Irish-Cuban co-production makes me wonder about relations between the two countries. It makes sense that they would want strong relations, as both were victims of occupation (Ireland by England, Cuba by Spain and then the US).

All in all, I recommend the movie. Definitely check it out if you can find it. Is scannán breá é.