Paddy Breathnach’s compassionate drama about a Cuban gay man’s battle of wills with his father is the first Irish film shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Oscar.
Winner – Best Irish Film, Audi Dublin International Film Festival 2016
Viva stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a shy young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. As father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, Viva becomes a love story as the men struggle to understand one another and reconcile as a family.
Featuring boisterous and often heart-breaking drag performance, Paddy Breathnach’s Oscar-shortlisted crowd-pleaser is a tender and compassionate tale of finding one’s true voice.
“Less boy-meets-boy than boy-meets-himself, Paddy Breathnach’s drama – the first Irish film to be shortlisted for best foreign-language Oscar – is a triumph.” ★★★★ – The Irish Times
“A startlingly beautiful movie set in present-day Havana.” – Wall Street Journal
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Ireland, Cuba, 2015 | Language: Spanish | 100 minutes | Cert: 15A
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García
