"Suite Habana" is aptly titled; it feels just like that, a musical suite in which the cadence and the rhythm come from within the people one meets. It's a tribute to all the men and women whose daily lives are basically the same, day in, day out. There seems to be no hope for most of the people we see in this magnificent documentary by Fernando Perez, an accomplished filmmaker, who had the courage to show the world that in spite of all the poverty one sees, the dignity of the subjects presented comes through loud and clear.
Our heart goes after the older woman who has been reduced to selling peanuts in the street in order to make a living for herself and what appears to be a sick husband. There is a moment in the film when a different picture of her is shown from her wedding. Obviously she never thought of living in this condition many years later, yet, she shows us such pride in what she is doing!
Then there is little Francisquito, an autistic boy who is being lovingly brought up by his widower father, an architect, who now free lances as a house repairer. After the boy's mother died, the father gave up his career in order to be close to the child. We watch the boy in school interacting with his teacher and the other children. He is accepted by the his peers and functions normally. The love of his father and the grandparents feel for the boy speak volumes.
A day in the lives of these Cubans is shown in a realistic way without any dialog. Words are not necessary for anyone to understand the pains, and the joys of most of the people in the film. The beauty of it all lays in the fact Mr. Perez, the director, and writer, is not taking any sides, as he presents the story as an every day occurrence without taking any sides.
"Suite Habana" is enhanced by the marvelous cinematography by Raul Perez Ureta, who does wonders with his view of a city that still shows its beauty in spite of the hard times it has seen in recent years. Also, the atmospheric music score by Edesio Alejandro and Ernesto Cisneros fits well with the images on the screen. Ultimately the praise must go to Fernando Perez, a man whose body of work is impressive and keeps on getting better all the time.
Our heart goes after the older woman who has been reduced to selling peanuts in the street in order to make a living for herself and what appears to be a sick husband. There is a moment in the film when a different picture of her is shown from her wedding. Obviously she never thought of living in this condition many years later, yet, she shows us such pride in what she is doing!
Then there is little Francisquito, an autistic boy who is being lovingly brought up by his widower father, an architect, who now free lances as a house repairer. After the boy's mother died, the father gave up his career in order to be close to the child. We watch the boy in school interacting with his teacher and the other children. He is accepted by the his peers and functions normally. The love of his father and the grandparents feel for the boy speak volumes.
A day in the lives of these Cubans is shown in a realistic way without any dialog. Words are not necessary for anyone to understand the pains, and the joys of most of the people in the film. The beauty of it all lays in the fact Mr. Perez, the director, and writer, is not taking any sides, as he presents the story as an every day occurrence without taking any sides.
"Suite Habana" is enhanced by the marvelous cinematography by Raul Perez Ureta, who does wonders with his view of a city that still shows its beauty in spite of the hard times it has seen in recent years. Also, the atmospheric music score by Edesio Alejandro and Ernesto Cisneros fits well with the images on the screen. Ultimately the praise must go to Fernando Perez, a man whose body of work is impressive and keeps on getting better all the time.