Viva
Irish Film Board (2016)
Drama, Foreign, Queer Themes/Interest
In Collection
#373
8*
Seen ItYes
(11/9/2016 NetFlix & 2/1/2019 at home)
IMDB   7.3
100 mins Cuba / Spanish
DVD    US - R
Héctor Medina Jesus
Jorge Perugorría Angel
Luis Alberto Garcia Mama
Renata Maikel Machin Blanco Pamela
Luis Manuel Alvarez Cindy
Paula Andrea Ali Rivera Nita
Laura Aleman Cecilia
Oscar Ibarra Napoles Javier
Mark O'Halloran Ray
Luis Angel Batista Bruzón Don
Luis Daniel Ventura Garbendia Kali
Yudisvany Rabu Nuno
Maikol Villa Puey William
Jorge Martínez Castillo Celeste
Tomas Cao Trainer
Jorge Eduardo Acosta Ordonez Lydia
Carlos Enrique Riverón Rodríguez Doctor
Carlos Calero Díaz Tourist
Enrique Narciso Molina Harnández Old Man
Libia Batista Lazara
Héctor Medina Jesús
Jorge Martínez Celeste
Laura Alemán Cecilia
Paula Ali Nita
Jorge Perugorría Ángel
Tomas Cao Trainer Nestor
Rayma Pérez Hooker
Niruka Castellón Older Nurse
Karla M. Venereo Doctor Karla
Anyeli Constanten Young Nurse
Josie Breathnach Bebita
Director/Choreographer
Paddy Breathnach
Producer Robert Walpole
Rebecca O'Flanagan
Benicio del Toro
Cathleen Dore
Writer/Composer Mark O'Halloran
Cinematography Cathal Watters
Music Stephen Rennicks


Jesús, a young hairdresser, works at a Havana nightclub for drag performers, and dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesús finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when Angel, his estranged father, abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. The macho Angel, recently released from a 15-year stint in prison, tries to squelch his son’s ambition to perform in drag. Father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, struggling to understand one another and reconcile as a family. Shot in a gritty neighbourhood far from the Havana most tourists know, Viva is a heartrending story of music, performance and survival.
Edition Details
Release Date 2016
No. of Discs/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date November 2018
Location Personal Library
Owner Deitz
Store Amazon/UK
Links + Review: HuffingtonPost (04/28/2016)
+ Review: Roger Ebert
+ Review: NY Times
± Review: A.V. Club Review
Viva at Core for Movies
TheMovieDb.org
IMDB
References
Streaming, VoD Amazon Prime, NetFlix
Lists ‡ Advocate: The 12 Best LGBT Films of 2016

Notes
I expected this film to be another feel good formulaic gay youth/family coming of age story -- I was particularly interested because it was set in Havana, Cuba (although produced by Irishmen) -- I was pleasantly surprised -- It was a well produced, finely acted story -- I was particularly impressed with the shots of Havana, its street scenes and slum neighborhoods