Strawberry and Chocolate (film)

Infobox Film
name = Fresa y Chocolate

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caption =
director = Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
Juan Carlos Tabío
producer = Camilo Vives
Frank Cabrera
Georgina Balzaretti
writer = Story:
Senel Paz
Screenplay:
Senel Paz
starring = Jorge Perugorría
Vladimir Cruz
Mirta Ibarra
Francisco Gattorno
distributor = Miramax Films (USA)
released = 1994
runtime = 108 min
language = Spanish
budget = Unknown
imdb_id = 0106966

"Strawberry and Chocolate" (Spanish: "Fresa y Chocolate") is a Cuban-Spanish-Mexican co-produced film, directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, based on the short story "The Wolf, The Forest and the New Man" (in Spanish, "El Lobo, el bosque y el hombre nuevo") written by Senel Paz in 1990. Senel Paz also wrote the screenplay for the film.

Synopsis

The story takes place in Havana, Cuba, 1979. David (Vladimir Cruz) is a University student who meets Diego (Jorge Perugorría), an artist who is apolitical and homosexual. David's heterosexual classmate, Miguel, encourages the friendship, thinking David can then spy on a person they see as aberrant and dangerous to the communist cause, while Diego initiates the friendship with sexual intentions. Reviewer Roger Ebert comments that "nothing unfolds as we expect. "Strawberry and Chocolate" is not a movie about the seduction of a body, but about the seduction of a mind. It is more interested in politics than sex — unless you count sexual politics, since to be homosexual in Cuba is to make an anti-authoritarian statement whether you intend it or not." [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950210/REVIEWS/502100303/1023 Ebert, Roger. "Strawberry and Chocolate" (review)] , "Chicago Sun-Times", February 10, 1995. Retrieved October 14, 2006.]

The title refers to a comment by David that he knew immediately that Diego was gay when he chose strawberry ice cream even though chocolate was available.

Awards and nominations

Won

1995

* Goya Award for Best Spanish-Language Foreign Film ("Mejor Película Extranjera de Habla Hispana")
* Premio ACE awards: Cinema—Best Film, Cinema—Best Director, Cinema—Best Actor (Perugorría), and Cinema—Best Supporting Actor (Cruz)
* Sundance Film Festival:

1994

* Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Berlin Bear—Special Jury Prize, Teddy—Best Feature Film
* Gramado Film Festival (Brazil): Audience Award, Kikito Critics Prize, and Golden Kikito awards in the categories of Best Latin Film, Best Actor (tie between Cruz and Perugorría), and Best Supporting Actress (Ibarra)

1993

* Havana Film Festival [http://www.habanafilmfestival.com/] : Grand Coral—First Prize, Audience Award, FIPRESCI Prize, OCIC Award, ARCI-NOVA Award, and the categories of Best Direction, Best Actor (Perugorría), Best Actress (Luisina Brando), Best Supporting Actress (Ibarra), and Best Screenplay.

Nominated

* Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 1995
* Golden Berlin Bear, 1994 Berlin International Film Festival

Notes

ee also

* Gay rights in Cuba

External links

*imdb title|id=0106966
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/strawberry_and_chocolate/ Rotten Tomatoes' links to reviews of the film]
* [http://www.spanport.ucsb.edu/faculty/mcgovern/Films/Fresa_y_Chocolate/fresa_y_chocolate.html University of California in Santa Barbara]