LA MANZANA is a character driven child-hood story set in Havana, Cuba that is immersive and beautifully shot, Director Henry Disotaur is a talent to watch.

LA MANZANA is written and directed by Henry Disotuar, based on his own experiences growing up in Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the island. The vivid and realistic story-telling is undoubtedly auto-biographical. Disotuar's film lacks any artifice, seeing this film is almost like opening a window into his childhood memories. Disotuar is a young filmmaker at 24 years of age, and he already possesses a narrative and technical skill that older peers of his would like to dominate. His eye, while striving for realism, knows how to embellish without distorting the reality of Cuba, bathing the screen in a warm color palette with hints of gold that provide the film with a feel of nostalgia. Credit also has to go to Disotuar's DP Ruben Appeltans for creating such a striking and gorgeous look which captures the beauty of the streets of Havana. Disotuar's framing and composition provides us with striking images such as Danilo's school's structure resembling cubes and the striking opening sequence which moves 360 degrees around a lover's quarrel in the middle of the street. LA MANZANA is Disotuar's graduation project, and he couldn't have chosen a more challenging film to test himself. Not only does Disotuar had to return to his country (since, like Danilo, he moved to Belgium as a child) and deal with bureaucracy and obtain elusive shooting permits, but he has to direct children as well. The child performers are fantastic and never feel like they are acting for the cameras, the obvious stand-out is Alexander Guerrero Machado, who shows immense range as a child with a lot of quiet anger and feelings of uncertainty, while also being wise and aware beyond his years. In its 30 minute run-time, LA MANZANA becomes and evocative child-hood story about leaving behind everything you know and the fears that come with such a transcendent event. Such moments as Danilo and his Mother's farewell as they see his grandmother wave goodbye to them perhaps for the last time ever, becomes a powerful moment of pure cinema that is rarely seen in short-films. This is a striking story with amazing visuals that no doubt ensured everyone who participated in the making of this film to graduate with honors. Disotuar and team are talents to look out for in future projects.

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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An intimate look into the world of a teenager on the verge of moving out of Cuba.

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