La vida es silbar

Picture of

Three different characters in a Havana, that always seems to be like today, must choose between clinging to their self-restricting beliefs, or getting rid of them to live more freely. Ballerina Mariana has recently promised God celibacy, if she gets the main role of "Giselle"; Social-worker Julia always faints after hearing a certain word, like other people do in the streets to different words; and percussionist Elpidio was abandoned by his mother named Cuba quite some time ago and has not yet gotten over the loss. Now he fells in love with an northern activist.

Festivals & awards

Festival des Lateinamerikanischen Kinos, Havanna 1998, Kuba:
Grand Coral - First Prize, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best New Actress, El Mégano Award, FIPRESCI Prize, OCIC Special Award, Radio Havana Award
Berlinale, Forum, C.I.C.A.E. Award
Goya: Best Spanish Language Foreign Film
Festival international de films de Fribourg (FIFF): Prix du public
Oslo Filmfestival, Films from the South Award
Rotterdam Filmfestival, KNF Award
Sundance Festival, Special Jury Prize
Viña del Mar, Grand Paoa

artwork

Credits

Original Title
La vida es silbar
Title
La vida es silbar
Directed by
Fernando Pérez
Country
Cuba
Year
1998
Screenplay
Fernando Pérez, Eduardo del Llano
Film Editing
Julia Yip
Soundtrack
Edesio Alejandro
Cinematography
RaĂșl PĂ©rez Ureta
Sound
Ricardo Istuete
Costumes
Miriam Dueñas
Production Design
Raul Olivia
Production
ICAIC, Havanna (Kuba), Wanda , Madrid (Spanien)
Formats
35mm, DVD, Blu-ray, DCP
Runtime
106 min.
Language
Spanish/d + f + e
Cast
Luis Alberto García (Elpidio Valdés), Coralia Veloz (Julia), Claudia Rojas (Mariana), Bebé Pérez (Bebé), Isabel Santos (Chrissy), Rolando Brito (Dr. Fernando), Joan Manuel Reyes (Ismael), Mónica Guffanti (Ms Garcés), Luis Ubaldo Benítez (Settimio), Jorge Molina (Bicycle taxi driver), Miguel A. Daranas (Care home manager), Zoraida Rosario (Orphanage matron)

Pro Material

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Date(s) of screening Screening(s)
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Press voices

«La vida es silbar gehört zu den köstlichsten Kinoerlebnissen.» Der Bund, Bern

«Ein seelenerwĂ€rmendes FilmmĂ€rchen aus Lateinamerika.» Tages-Anzeiger, ZĂŒrich

«Ein entschiedenes PlĂ€doyer fĂŒr ein selbstbestimmtes Leben.» Forum des Jungen Films, Berlin

«Man möchte pfeifen vor VergnĂŒgen.» Tages-Anzeiger

«Its surrealist imagery, inspired by Magritte paintings, lends it a thread of visual zaniness... the throbbing music of Bola de Nieve and Benny More, which punctuates the film, makes its erotic pulse race even faster.» The New York Times