On the Roof
(El techo)
Patricia Ramos | Comedy, Drama, Fiction, Romance
2017 | 75 minutes | Cuba, Nicaragua
A deliciously offbeat romantic comedy from Cuba, On the Roof doesn’t shy away from tackling the problems facing contemporary youth.
Synopsis
In this feel-good ensemble dramedy, a flat rooftop in an old Havana neighborhood is the natural habitat for three friends who spend their days and nights dreaming about the future.
Yasmani is an amateur pigeon fancier who is too shy to talk to a girl he likes; Victor José has convinced himself of his Sicilian descent and now prefers to go by Vito; Anita is five months pregnant and pretends that she doesn't care who the father is. In the midst of their boredom, without money and dreaming about success, they decide to set up their own business. The cost of this dream will finally lead them to personal maturity, but with some difficulty.
A deliciously off-beat romantic comedy, On the Roof doesn't shy away from tackling the problems facing contemporary Cuban youth. The film offers an impeccable balance of colloquial charm and universal appeal. Patricia Ramos and her excellent cast have crafted highly relatable characters with varying degrees of ambition, ingenuity, and quirk.
Reviews
"Ramos' stories are funny and down to earth, offering a much welcome look at contemporary Cuba." — Manuel Betancourt, Remezcla
"The rooftop terrace as a place of limited freedom could be a symbol in El Techo; it's an open space, however, teenagers there remain immersed in torpor and daily life, locked up in their own present without prospects for the future." — Irina Echarry, Havana Times
"One of the most interesting proposals of Cuban cinema in this [Havana Film] Festival." — Mayté Madruga Hernández, Cuba Cine
Citation
Main credits
Ramos, Patricia (film director)
Ramos, Patricia (screenwriter)
Jiménez, Humberto (film producer)
Galbán, Enmanuel (actor)
Doimeadiós, Andrea (actor)
Navarro Eloseguis, Jonathan (actor)
Sánchez Alonso, Noslen (actor)
Albellar Hernández, Roberto (actor)
Other credits
Director of photography, Alán González; editor, Kenia Velázquez; music, Juan Antonio Leyva, Magda Rosa Galbán.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Economics + Social Class Issues
Family
International Relations
Latin American Studies
Migration Studies
Sociology
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival - Best Narrative Feature
Havana Film Festival - Sarah Gomez Award
Cuba's Journalist Union Award (UPEC)
Providence Latin American Film Festival - Best Director, Best Supporting Actress
Chicago Latino Film Festival
Miami Film Festival
Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival - Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
DIRECTOR: Patricia Ramos
NATIONALITY: Cuba, Nicaragua
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Fiction, Romance
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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