It’s always intriguing to see movies made in countries with repressive regimes. At one end of the spectrum is propagandistic piffle for the masses. At the other are cinematic vehicles that artfully let off ideological and anti-government steam, largely for export. Double entendres, ironic situations and symbolic acts often abound amid universal themes.
Iran and Cuba come readily to mind. In fact, the Iranian-made “A Separation” won an Oscar last month for Best Foreign Film.
Cuba’s churned out numerous well-received, ideological envelope-pushers over the years. A lot more than just the award-winning “Strawberry and Chocolate” (1993) and Suite Havana (2003). This year, there’s the ballyhooed “Juan of the Dead” (“Juan de los Muertos”), a black-comedy zombie flick, and the animated “Chico and Rita,” currently playing at Tampa Theatre.
We caught up with “Juan” last weekend at the Gasparilla International Film Festival. Hyde Park’s Cine Bistro was the well-attended venue. For those of us looking for more than anti-revolutionary jabs amid hokey black comedy, it was disappointing. “Juan” would give bad camp a bad name.
The plot consists of zombies invading Havana. Their presence is explained away as the work of dissidents in the employ of the United States. Panic is arrested when Juan, a local hustler, plays to his entrepreneurial strength by starting up a business whose sales slogan is “we kill your loved ones.” No, it’s not as funny as it seems.
What is apparent is this: The cachet of made-in-Havana doesn’t warrant a pass because we’re curious about any kind of window into Cuban society. Even a poorly made one. But you always learn something. It turns out that Cuba can make lowest common denominator zombie movies too.