Karen Ponzio Photos
David and Diego meet over ice cream in the film Strawberry & Chocolate.
Last Friday the New Haven Free Public Library decided to serve dessert first, as Strawberry & Chocolate was screened as the inaugural film in the Ives Branch’s September Free Friday film series. The 1993 Cuban film, directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio, was also the first of four films that will be screened every Friday in September at 2 p.m. in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Friday Sept. 8 will feature Ways of Being Home. Double Feature screens on Sept. 15, Wild Tales on Sept. 22, and Virus Tropical on Sept. 29. The movies were curated by Jessica Robayo, a reference librarian who works in adult services at the branch — though Strawberry & Chocolate, which she said she had never seen before, was chosen by her boss Seth Godfrey.
Robayo has also curated the past two months of films, each with their own theme. July’s “Laughter is The Best Medicine” series, which included such classics as Young Frankenstein and Some Like It Hot, were gathered from a department-wide poll. August films were chosen in collaboration with the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library for their art and protest exhibit.
“We selected films surrounding themes of art and activism, and that was really fun,” said Robayo.
With September being Hispanic Heritage Month, Robayo, who is Latina, wanted to choose films to represent different countries and genres.
Strawberry & Chocolate, she said, “is a bit of a lusty romantic comedy but also a coming-of-age type story, but the last film we are showing is animation.” She added that she liked that one — Virus Tropical, a 2017 Colombian-Ecuadorian film — because “it’s very different” and “it’s nice to see animation that’s more geared towards adults or adult themes.”
David and Nancy flirt.
In selecting movies, Robayo noted that the library hopes to pick things you might not see in your regular theater or even on Netflix.
“There’s a lot that are inaccessible in that regard, so we do try to pick independent films,” she added. They often make selections from the film distributor Women Make Movies, which focuses on women’s stories and documentaries that have been filmed by women.
Robayo wanted to remind the public that all movie screenings are free whether you have a library card or not, and that they are always open to suggestions and recommendations for future film series (though they will be taking the month of October off to focus on being a location for screenings from the NHDocs film festival).
“We want to show what the community wants to see,” she noted.
On this day in the community room on the lower level of the Ives branch, a handful of patrons were hungry for Strawberry and Chocolate. The story begins with David (played by Vladimir Cruz), a college student experiencing love and lust with Vivian that does not play out as well as either of them hoped. Soon he is a lonely college student wandering the streets without much direction. A chance meeting (or was it?) with the charming and flirtatious Diego (played by Jorge Perugorria) sets David off on an unexpected search for meaning in his own life, as well as an exploration of what is right and wrong when it comes to politics, art, and honor. Most important, he begins to question and explore his relationships with others, with himself, and with his own beliefs.
The film, based on a short story by Senal Paz, offers an often-humorous look at how we try to remain ourselves while often trying to change others. Diego, who is homosexual, is initially feared and chastised by David and his friend Miguel (played by Francisco Gattorno), who, suspecting nefarious behaviors on Diego’s part due to his involvement in the art scene and his religious leanings, wants David to help catch him and turn him in to the authorities.
Diego and David disagree.
There is also Nancy (played by Mirta Ibarra) Diego’s fiery neighbor, who is supportive of Diego and takes a shine to David as well. Between the romantic longings of both Diego and Nancy toward David and the political discourse that continues throughout the film, there is something for everyone to ponder. Add in the religious connotations, such as when Nancy has conversations with the religious statues in her apartment, and you have a fully fleshed out, fun, and thoughtful film that in less than two hours takes on a wide variety of still timely topics with an open and loving heart.
Directors Alea and Tabio are at their best when they focus on the faces of the erstwhile David and passionate Diego as they try to figure out who they are to each other and to the place they call home, as well as Nancy as she longs for her own changes. And speaking of their home, Cuba itself can be considered a costar in this film as the viewer gets a loving look around in many scenes.
Will David change Diego’s mind about his politics? Will Diego profess his love to his new friend? Will Nancy get her chance as well? This reporter would never spoil a film for the reader, but if this is the first course for this series, I can’t wait to taste the rest.
Free Film Fridays continues through September at 2 p.m. at the Ives Branch of the New Haven Free Public Library. More information about the films being shown can be found on the library’s website and social media pages.