Vienna, March 24. Cuban cinema took center stage in Ljubljana with the screening of the Cuban film “Buscando a Casal,” as part of the celebrations for World Poetry Day and the 67th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC).
This film of great cultural value explores essential themes in the biography of the controversial poet Julián del Casal, namely: the artist’s freedom, rebellion against the Spanish government, and the power of friendship. This film by Cuban director Jorge Luis Sánchez is brimming with energy in its visuals and staging, and in the director’s own words: “Casal did not deserve a predictable film, but rather a work that would make people think, because returning to the past is also a way of seeing the present and the future.”
The screening of this feature film at the Cervantes Institute in Ljubljana is part of a close collaboration between the Cuban Embassy in Austria and this institution to promote our country’s culture and, in particular, the figure of this Spanish-American poet, considered one of the precursors of Cuban modernism.
The film was met with an excellent reception in a packed theater, and attendees showed interest in learning more about Casal’s work. This feature film competed at the 41st International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana and was Cuba’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards; it also competed in the Best Ibero-American Film category at the 35th Goya Awards.
(EmbaCubaAustria)