The film El acompañante (2015) by Pavel Giroud has been chosen as the Cuban submission for the U.S. Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and Spain’s Goya Awards.
According to information published on the website Cubacine, the selection committee, organized by the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), was composed of directors Marilyn Solaya, Leandro de la Rosa and Marcel Beltrán, as well as film critics Joel del Río and Frank Padrón.
The site reports that El acompañante by Giroud (Havana, 1972) was chosen given its “ability to effectively communicate with the spectator…through a story with a well-woven native, emotion and moving characters. The film confirms the director’s talent for creating a diaphanous and convincing film in every aspect of its realization, from its meritable production design…performances…sound track.”
Other films considered included: Bailando con Margot, by Arturo Santana; Café amargo, Rigoberto Jiménez; La cosa humana, Gerardo Chijona; Cuba libre, Jorge Luis Sánchez; Esteban, Jonal Cosculluela, and Leontina, Rudy Mora.
El acompañante, a 104-minute drama set in the 1980s, tells the story of boxing champion Horacio Romero (played by Yotuel Romero, singer from the band Orishas), sentenced to act as an escort for HIV patient Daniel (Armando Miguel Gómez, Conducta, La emboscada), after being convicted of doping.
Although the film - with script by Giroud and Alejandro Brugués (Juan de los Muertos) - addresses the issue of AIDS, this doesn’t represent the central focus, but rather explores universal topics such as fighting for one's dreams and friendship.
El acompañante was premiered during the 37th Havana International Festival of New Latin American Cinema as an independent production sponsored by Programa Ibermedia, 5ta Avenida Prod and Sinergia.
Speaking to Granma International at that time, following the film’s screening at Havana’s Chaplin Cinema, where all competing productions are shown, Giroud stated that “I always look to entertain. Making a serious film doesn’t mean making a boring one.”
El Acompañante isGiroud’s third feature-length production, following on from Tres veces dos (2004) – for which he directed the first of the three stories which compose the film, while Lester Hamlet and Esteban Insausti were responsible for the remaining two; La edad de la peseta (2007) submitted for a Goya Award, and Omerta (2009), winner of the Coral Prize for Best Screenplay at last year’s Havana International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, all of which were produced by ICAIC.
The film’s first commercial screening took place in France and is set to be released in Cuba in September.
