This film has not yet been reviewed. Check back later for the complete review here on FilmThreat.com. Synopsis: Despite the schism that separates Cubans who stayed during the revolution from those who left, a common ground is found in the intensity of heartbreak felt by both. Humberto Solás’s latest film is a visceral, moving examination of the emotional scars left behind by the class revolution in Cuba. Among films addressing exiled Cubans returning to the island, Honey for Oshun is exceptional. Not only does it tell a tale of loss, longing, and rediscovery, but it also embodies the emotional language of these heart-wrenching experiences within its visual form.
Thirty-two years after being taken away from Cuba by his overbearing father, Roberto gathers the courage to return to the island in hopes of finding his mother, whom he was raised to believe abandoned him. When he arrives, he finds that his American ways rub uneasily against the ways of his countrymen. He manages to find a good-humored driver, Antonio, and from there seeks out his cousin Pilar, who tells him the truth of his childhood–that his upper-class father kidnapped him from his black, impoverished mother so they would escape the revolution. Roberto, Pilar, and Antonio embark together upon a heartbreaking journey across the island in search of Roberto’s mother, discovering remnants of the incredibly hard life she endured and finding more answers than any of them bargained for.
Solás draws out wonderful performances from his cast, and Porfirio Enriquez’ beautiful cinematography of the Cuban landscape creates an extraordinarily vibrant sense of place and atmosphere. An endearing, self-depreciating sense of humor emerges unexpectedly throughout, making Honey for Oshun as delightful as it is heart-tugging and creating a remarkable journey into a collective Cuban heart.
