SILVER

[LOS OCÉANOS SON LOS VERDADEROS CONTINENTES]
In his feature directorial debut, Italian filmmaker Tommaso Santambrogio tells three disparate stories of Cuban exile through evocative black-and-white photography, an exquisite cast of nonprofessional actors and a meditative rhythm that reflects the ennui suffered by its characters. Alex and Edith, a pair of 30-something lovers, cherish every moment together, but their relationship is put to the test when Edith obtains a visa to work in Europe even though Alex wishes to continue teaching at the local drama school. Meanwhile, the elderly Milagros, who makes a meager living selling peanut cones on the street, dwells in the past via letters her late husband wrote her while off fighting in the Angolan Civil War. Nine-year-olds Alain and Frank dream of playing Major League Baseball together, but when Frank overhears his mother making plans to move to Miami, the thought of losing his best friend weighs on him. A beautiful yet melancholic portrait of Cuba, soaked in rich and poetic imagery, OCEANS ARE THE REAL CONTINENTS captures the pain of a country stuck in the past and little hope for a prosperous future — all while its inhabitants must find a way to live in the present. Official Selection, 2023 Venice Film Festival. DIR/SCR Tommaso Santambrogio; PROD Gianluca Arcopinto, Marica Stocchi. Cuba/Italy, 2023, b&w, 120 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

No AFI Member passes accepted.