Ritorno a L'Avana

In Havana, the middle-aged friends Aldo (Pedro Julio Díaz Ferran), Rafa (Fernando Hechavarria), Tanía (Isabel Santos) and Eddy (Jorge Perugorría) organize a reunion at Aldo's rooftop terrace to welcome Amadeo (Néstor Jiménez), who has just returned from Spain after a sixteen-year-self-exile. Aldo is a divorced engineer who lost his job in a downsizing and works repairing batteries. Rafa is a former alcoholic and smoker painter who lost his inspiration. Tania is an ophthalmologist that has no money, left her sons going to Miami with their father and lives with donations from her clients. Eddy is the only financially well-succeeded in the group since he used the new regime not necessarily in a legal way to make money. Amadeo was a writer of books and theater plays that left his wife Angela, who was sick with cancer, and exiled in Spain. In the beginning, their gathering is nostalgic with recollections of their youth. After some drinks and conversation, they begin to wash the dirty laundry of each one, culminating with the motives that Amadeo left his wife behind and stayed in Spain.

"Retour à Ithaque", a.k.a. "Return to Ithaque", is a theatrical and talkative film about the gathering of five middle-aged friends in Cuba. It is interesting to see the life of educated people after more than sixty-years of the Cuban Revolution, the fall of the Soviet Union and the United States embargo against Cuba. The country is completely depleted and technologic outdated, paying poor salaries to his people. The situation of the friends seems to reflect the condition of the former middle-class in Cuba. For those that like to learn about different cultures, it is worthwhile being patient and watching this film to the end. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Retorno a Itaca" ("Return to Ithaque")