Nada (2001)

Director:

Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti

Writers:

Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti (writer)
Manuel Rodríguez (writer)

Release Date:

1 November 2002 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

In Havana, a post office branch is more than a place of bureaucratic rules and regulations to ensure effective public services...

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Thais Valdés	...	Carla Pérez
Nacho Lugo	...	Cesar
Daisy Granados	...	Cunda
Paula Ali	...	Cuca
Verónica López	...	Concha
Luis Manuel Iglesias	...	Prof. Calzado
Raúl Eguren	...	El de la Empresa
Edith Massola	...	The Secretary
Octavio 'Churrisco' Rodriguez	...	El administrador
Raúl Pomares	...	El cartero
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susana Alonso
Asunción Balaguer
Elena Bolaños
Sara Cabrera
Sara Cabrera
Micheline Calvert
Nilda Collado
Xenia Cruz
Broselianda Hernández
Hernán Hernández
Natalia Herrera
Sandra Lorenzo
Mayra Mazorra
Luis Alberto Ramírez
David Ramy
Sandra Ramy
Octavio Rodríguez
Armando Soler
Indira Valdés
Coralia Veloz	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

Nada + (Spain)
Nada ma's (Spain)
Nothing More (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Cuba | Spain | France | Italy

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Havana, Cuba

Company:

Canal+ España

Soundtrack:

Qué te pedí

C yourself differently

Since we in the United States don't often get to see Cuban movies*, it's refreshing to see "Nada". It portrays a woman named Carla Perez working in a Havana post office opening people's letters and rewriting them so as to make them more comprehensible and even poetic...much to the chagrin of her supervisors (who, if combined, would act like and resemble the Wicked Witch of the West). But this might set in motion a new path for Carla's relationships with people.

Aside from the main plot, the movie gives us a look at the lives of ordinary Cubans, far from the famous images of Fidel Castro and his cabinet. The black-and-white cinematography with a few objects colored gives one - well, gives me, at least - the sense of people feeling somewhat depressed in a world without guaranteed electricity, but trying as hard as possible to pull through.

One thing that I noticed in the movie is that all the characters had names beginning with C (Carla, Cunda, Concha, etc). I wonder what was up with that. It may have had something to do with Cuba beginning with C (along with Cuba's trading partner China).

Overall, worth seeing.

*It seems like this might also be the case in Cuba; I think that most of the movies which they get to see in Cuba come from - where else? - the United States.