Following its international premiere at the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana in December 2025, Baracoa, the debut feature by Luis Ernesto Doñas, has recently screened out of competition at the Taormina Film Fest.
Co-produced by Pointmedia Italia and De La Huerta Producciones, the film follows a journey across Cuba that gradually becomes a reflection on memory, identity and the sense of belonging. The cast includes Giancarlo Giannini, Carlos Luis González, Yadier Fernández, Carlos Pérez Peña and Ana Gloria Buduén. Baracoa will be distributed by White Lion Media, headed by Federica Folli and Pete Maggi.
The screenplay was written by Luis Ernesto Doñas and Filippo Ascione, while the cinematography is by Lorenzo Casadio Vannucci CCS. The creative team is completed by Barbara Llanes (music), Francesco Galli (editing) and Alexis Alvarez (production design).
Visit baracoa.it for more information, additional images, and interviews with the cast and director.
Ci ha raccontato Lorenzo Casadio:
«Baracoa is a multi-layered film with a complex narrative structure, divided into two parts. The first part explores the relationship between a elderly commander of the Revolución, Felipe, played by Giancarlo Giannini, his son Pepe, and the doctor Jimmi, who looks after him following a heart attack. The second part, by contrast, takes the form of a road movie, in which Pepe and Jimmi set off on a journey across Cuba, from Havana to Baracoa — a journey that will lead them to know each other deeply and to be transformed. In the first part, the narrative focuses on the generational conflict between father and son. On one side is Felipe’s world, populated above all by memories and by the never quite extinguished dream of a permanent revolution; on the other is Pepe’s, who rejects that political legacy and longs for a different life, drawn to the comfort and atmosphere of Havana’s grand hotels frequented by foreign tourists. Amid this climate of mounting tension, Felipe suffers a heart attack. This event introduces Jimmi, who gradually succeeds in winning the old commander’s trust and forging a genuine bond with him. Overcoming Pepe’s prejudice about Jimmi’s “double life”, which involves performing as Estrellita in Havana’s nightlife drag shows, Jimmi becomes an increasingly important presence within the family dynamics. After Felipe’s death, the commander’s final wish prompts Pepe and Jimmi to set out on the journey to Baracoa. As they cross the country, the two men will be forced to confront themselves and a more rural, authentic Cuba, on a journey that redefines their relationship and the way they look towards their future.
The cinematography follows the two-part structure of the story through precise choices of light, composition and camera movement. In the first part, the characters move mainly within interior spaces, and the atmosphere is deliberately static and intimate. Havana’s night-time, portrayed through Jimmi and Pepe, is accompanied by the city’s sudden blackouts — an almost total darkness typical of the contemporary Cuban context that becomes a narrative element. Felipe’s world, too, after the heart attack, is confined to the interior of the house: the strong Caribbean light filters through windows left ajar, creating a suspended atmosphere, somewhere between darkness and the weight of memories. With the start of the journey, the shots begin to open up, letting the landscapes of the Cuban hinterland into the film. In parallel, the two characters embark on an emotional, intimate journey that will lead them to self-discovery. To convey this contrast, we chose wide-angle lenses for the camera car shots and the broader movements, alternating with a 75mm on a tripod for the more static, intimate scenes, where the narrative is focused on the characters’ inner transformation. ».
