De cierta manera

With the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro and his rebels aimed to integrate marginalized people into society by providing everyone with housing, a job and education. In an impressive mix of documentary and fiction, Sara Gómez shows that this still leaves plenty more to be done.

The Afro Cuban filmmaker shows that mutual understanding can bring about change through a fictional love story between two polar opposites. Yolanda (Yolanda Cuellar) is an idealistic teacher from a privileged background; Mario (Mario Balmaseda) is a laborer who grew up in poverty and a culture of machismo. Initially, they are blind to each other’s problems. With the recurring motif of a wrecking ball knocking down walls in the shantytown, we see how arguments and conversations can destroy old ideas.

De cierta manera was the first feature film to be made by a Cuban woman. During post-production, Gómez died from an asthma attack at the age of 31. The film was completed by her colleagues and restored in 2021 by Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art in Berlin.

De cierta manera was digitally restored by Vulnerable Media Lab as part of the Sara Gómez Project.