Lessons for Luca
(Lessons for Luca)
Salvador Gieling | Documentary
2021 | 87 minutes | The Netherlands
In this mesmerizing family saga, a personal story is inseparably intertwined with the history of Cuba when a farmer gets a six-year sentence for selling his own cow.
Synopsis
Uncle Ezequiel is serving a six-year prison sentence. What crime did this Cuban farmer commit? Answer: He sold his own cow.
Filmmaker Salvador Gieling, a cousin-by-marriage, can’t get his head around it. And if he can’t, how will Luca – his two-year-old son and Ezequiel’s nephew – ever understand it? So Salvador and his wife Belga travel to the heart of the Cuban countryside and, together with the family members, undertake the almost impossible mission of trying to explain to their two-year-old son Luca the story of his uncle Ezequiel.
The film intertwines the country’s incredible history with truth-finding about Ezequiel’s case and the personal story of Belga (who managed to get out of Cuba). Bit by bit, the film reveals how the struggles of the protagonists are connected to a greater history and the same question that keeps coming up: “What does freedom mean?”
Lessons for Luca is also an affectionate family portrait, framed by the captivating music of cellist Ernst Reijseger, whose melancholy melodies are interspersed with playful moments and scenes that highlight the joy and vitality of life.
Citation
Main credits
Gieling, Salvador (film director)
Gieling, Salvador (screenwriter)
Lammertsma, Iris (film producer)
Koole, Boudewijn (film producer)
Other credits
Editing, Bobbie Roeloffs & Salvador Gieling; music, Ernst Reijseger.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Caribbean Studies
Criminal Justice
Education
Exile
Family
Fascism + Repression
History
Sociology
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam IDFA; Hot Docs 2022;
DIRECTOR: Salvador Gieling
NATIONALITY: The Netherlands
YEAR: 2021
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
In Havana
Transit Havana
The Eighth Floor
Le huitième étage, jours de révolte
The Companion
El acompañante
Horizons
Horizontes
Return to Cuba
Volver a Cuba
Song for Cuba
Baracoa. 500 Years Later
Baracoa. 500 años después
The Cuban Wives
Las esposas cubanas
Fidel
Everybody Leaves
Todos se van
Dicing with Death, Ep. 05 - Cuba: Viva la Vida
Cuba: Viva la vida
On the Starting Line
La arrancada
A History of an Assignment
Istoria odnoi komandirovki
Tania Libre
Tania libre
The Padilla Affair
El Caso Padilla
Fidelandia: Behind the Curtain of Cuba's Revolution
The Travel Agent
Pequeñas mentiras piadosas
The Foam of Days
La espuma de los días
On the Roof
El techo
Related Collections
Criminal Justice
A riveting selection of films that provoke conversations on topics such as wrongful convictions, systemic issues, life in prison, and the human stories behind crime and punishment.
Number of titles: 128
SEE COLLECTION >High School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 509
SEE COLLECTION >The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 637
SEE COLLECTION >Our Essential 100 Titles
A hand-picked selection of our must-have films showcasing the very best of Spanish, Latin American and Latinx cinema.
Number of titles: 100
SEE COLLECTION >Documentary Chronicles
A truthful examination and captivating glimpse into the complexities of the region.
Number of titles: 385
SEE COLLECTION >