SEVEN DAYS IN HAVANA
2012 | Omnibus Movie | Laurent Cantet, Benicio del Toro ... | 129'
A snapshot of Havana today: a powerful and entertaining portrait of a unique city told through 7 interlinked chapters, directed by 7 internationally acclaimed directors.7 DAYS IN HAVANA is a snapshot of Havana in 2011: a contemporary portrait of this eclectic city, vital and forward-looking, told through a single feature-length movie made of 7 chapters, directed by 7 internationally acclaimed directors.
Each chapter depicts a day of the week through the daily - and extraordinary - lives of its characters. A world away from the familiar touristic clichés, 7 DAYS IN HAVANA aims to express the soul of this city and its diverse neighborhoods, atmospheres, generations and cultures, in touching, entertaining and funny style. Seven directors (one from Cuba, six from other countries) share a common purpose: to capture, through their different sensibilities, origins and cinematographic styles, the energy and vitality that make Havana unique. Some have chosen to see the city through foreign eyes; others have preferred a deeper immersion and drawn inspiration from local people. All seven stories have independent plots, but the many connections between them help to create a powerful dramatic unity. Shared locations play their part: emblematic Havana landmarks like the beach or the Hotel Nacional form the backdrop for some of the chapters. Several characters appear in more than one story - a protagonist in one chapter plays a secondary role in another - subtly connecting the stories and demonstrating that in Havana all social spheres run parallel, intertwine and intersect at various times of the week.