Day of the Flowers (2013)

Powerful

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Respecting Cuba on the big screen demands that the country's contrasts are addressed without glorification, and Eirene Houston's screenplay provides the necessary balance of locational beauty and unpatronising social commentary in her 2012 film 'Day of the Flowers.' When their father dies suddenly, chalk-and-cheese sisters Rosa and Ailie fly to Cuba – a place close to the heart of the family – to scatter his ashes. On their first night in the country, they are taken to a popular dancing club: a money-making outlet dealing in crude approximations of Cuban authenticity. Ailie loves the spectacle; Rosa is uneasy. 'They have to give tourists what think they'll like,' she is solemnly informed by a fellow traveller. Some may argue that in turn, giving cinema-goers 'what they like' would involve a multiplication of sassy, humid dance scenes on one hand, and less focus on Rosa's unpleasant experience with a poverty- stricken Cuban family on the other. However, the sequence depicting Rosa's trauma is powerful and valid; not only does it frankly acknowledge conditions which for many are a reality; in addition, the results on Rosa's character are complex and pivotal. For the first time, the viewer is shown the value she holds for her own life: a value previously eclipsed by her admirable (yet occasionally misguided) compassion. As she is told later in the film, one cannot 'fight for the revolution every day.' Before her ordeal, she had begun to lose vital strands of her own self in the attempt. This a film with a deep reverence for Cuba; its vitality, strength and contradictions… yet with a simultaneous commitment to the parallel nuances of its human characters. Carlos Acosta's Tomas is serene yet deeply powerful, and one cannot miss the luxurious twinkle during his first meeting with Rosa. He understands that she must make peace with herself before she can achieve her goal of facilitating peace for others, and as such, there is a complexity to their rapport which elevates it beyond that of a generic, plot- driven romance. An unfaltering understanding of the blossom and thorns of another's character is an essential ingredient of love as it should be. The film understands this, and watching the pair bristle towards their combined fate is genuinely cathartic; a dynamic that is mirrored and complimented by the presentation of the sisters' own relationship. Eva Birthistle's Rosa is sincere and relatable in her humanity, while Manuel de Blas and Charity Wakefield provide what is – for me – the most moving moment of the piece, in a single exchange of glance. This is a thoughtful, sumptuous piece of cinema which should not be allowed to fall off the map through lack of deserved exposure.

From Glasgow to Havana via Bafta: I am writing my second review, after 'Fifty Kisses', not as a filmmaker, but as a fan. When Jean Luc Godard was first interested in film, he wrote in 'Cahiers DE Cinema', creating film dialogue of auteur, so in this vein, I hope to create a thoughtful level of critique rather than playing the line of industry games. Note that Kermode also described the film as 'thoughtful', as though in surprise, and having 'a plethora of themes'. What he doesn't point out though is what a daring feat it is to take a departure from formulaic movies to film that has no rigid genre. In the after discussion at the Vue, Piccadilly the Glaswegian writer, Eirene Houston, sits with producer Jonathan Rae and director John Roberts, to make clear that they fought over every scene. "It was like a family made film then?" Chris delightedly asks, while Judy Goldberg takes photos.The following Friday we are going to see a screening and reception for 'Fifty Kisses' at Bafta, also produced by Judy and Chris, celebrating its Guinness Record Status, for the number of people to work on a film. This will be a light relief after the highly emotional days of listening to extremely brave and moving women, like Judy Goldberg talk of overcoming painful, personal experience; or the focused Catherine Artin sharing her compassion; as well as seeing Malala Yousafzai just a few weeks ago in conversation at 'Women of the World' at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, eerily overwhelming, cheering and miraculous after her near death experience. There is positive explosion of women actors, writers, thinkers at 'Day of the Flowers' revelling in tales of their differences, but ultimately making a low budget film on two million pounds, in Cuba itself. I am all for that family feel having started with Kafkaesque Frank Castorf, at Berlin People's Stage, who has had a Turk with little language ability at the stage door and a young man running the box office with a hunchback for over fifteen years, both happy and unemployable elsewhere. Airbrushed cosmetic theatres of Western Europe are put to shame simply by this alone. After we put the homeless and gypsies on stage, Frank wanting to keep pace allowed the most gifted to join the ensemble and tour Europe. To return to 'Day of the Flowers', shot in Cuba, Vernon Layton and director John Roberts point out what a big star impressive ballet ace, Carlos Acosta is, himself from poverty-stricken origins, which informed Eirene's writing of those heartening kinds who are not broken, but raised up to immense courage when under pressure. The film seamlessly melds alluring landscapes, filmed on 35mm by Vernon Layton, with the story of mismatched sisters Rosa and Ailie whose tense relationship overlaps with the relationship of their parents, supporters of the Cuban revolution. There is something in the air with Judy Goldberg starting a campaign for 'Be Heard', a short film competition for victims of abuse, which I take interest in supporting as most homeless are on the street to avoid abuse, from family. Like her, Eirene Houston, Cathy Arton, on IMDb: also Jonathan Rae, John Roberts, Vernon Layton and Chris Jones. 'Day of the Flowers' is as fragile and vibrant as real life, flowing scenes integrated at the last minute, admit writer Eirene, director John and producer Jonathan. John adds the flexibility ' keeps the acting fresh'.Eva Birtwhistle and Charity Wakefield bristle as wayward sisters, the former Rosa, genuinely named after tragic revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg. She is willing to fore-go all private pleasure touchingly in a quest to save the planet; idolising her father while the younger Ailie is freer, willing to take what life throws at her whether good or bad. I am staying silent as to all unexpected and outrageous twists that bring script alive as I don't wish to spoil.. Another humorous aspect to the film is the fact that director of photography Vernon Layton wanted to do some producing, in a minor capacity for a change, when their Director of Photography pulled out, as it clashed with other work, so Vernon had to step in as DOP! He explains how he preferred shooting on 35 mm film as it lends 'the film the look of a tapestry'; 'beautiful old crumbling buildings make a great setting.' He also mentions later to me how he 'did the 'Rock Circus' of the Stones'. I perceive him in my mind's eye, walking around the Cuban cities where they shoot, finding interesting angles of exotic buildings to make the decaying grandeur of an ex-colony reflect the heightened mental states of the two young women. The actors mix the aesthetically pleasing with dramatic interludes of them finding new inner dimensions in the hypnotic landscapes they encounter; dancing late nights for the love of beautiful local men, including the star Carlos Acosta who is a member if the Royal Ballet although Cuban. His zest for life and screen presence adds a dimension that dramatically alters any false view of Cuban people as lost souls in need of a Western injection: he refreshingly lives for dance. We see how relative poverty neither enables or detracts from the ability of individuals to stand out from others if they chose better lives as he teaches others dance. He is in stark contrast to the villainous family in the Cuban countryside trying to exploit innocent foreigners. Rosa retrieves her father's ashes from their fate as a tragic golfing prize and flees to deliver them to a river in Cuba. I am delighted that the writer and partner Laura have an hour long chat about character writing in the pub afterwards, with Eirene dropping hints about character scripting. Remember to vote on IMDb so it becomes a cult classic.

This may have been the biggest chick flick I've watched all year. Not only does it stand at an average rating of 5.1 from male voters and 7.7 from female, but this one brings it all. Shamelessly. Sister-sister relationship? Check. Hot Latino hunks? Check. Impressive scenery? Check. Ballet dance scenes? Check. Gooey love stories? Several! And to top it all off, the distributor gave away free pink textile bags to the audience to promote the movie after leaving the theater.But it's not necessarily a bad thing. Not at all. Both leading ladies play their parts convincingly while delivering the most awesome Scottish accents since Sean Connery. Eva Birthistle, who felt more the center of the two, gives a convincing portrayal as an exceedingly charitable, undateable activist, while Charity Wakefield shines as a dolly bird with a lot more below the surface than one would have initially expected. The three male protagonists Acosta, Dick and Simpson do an okay job with what they're given and usually thrive the most during the interactions with the two female leads. One of my favorite parts was Rosa's completely different reactions to Tomas and Ernesto both being fathers already.There's not much to criticize about this flick. It's definitely entertaining, yet soothing at the same time. The characters are easy to identify with. The cinematography is beautiful and the music that comes inevitably with a Scotland-Cuba culture clash fits the tone very nicely. If there's any flaw with it, it may be the final revelations about the daughters' origins. Even if their dad's ashes was the cause for the trip, this movie is at its best when it concentrates on the actual happenings during the trip and not the reason behind it. Also, I'm not a great fan of the title. I don't think it does the film justice and the day is only a very minor plot-point anyway.It doesn't look too good for this movie to be released on a large scale, but if you're one of the few to have the chance to see it, take it! And if not, rent the DVD and include it in your next all girls movie night. You won't regret it.If you end up liking "Day of the Flowers", check out the outrageously similarly-premised road movie "Jackie", also from 2012, starring the van Houten Sisters and Holly Hunter.

I saw it at the Edinburgh Film festival and love it. Two quarrelling sisters become reluctant travel partners when they set off from Scotland to Cuba. Their journey throws up more than a few surprises and laughs along the way. Their quest to discover more about their father's communist past leads to a voyage of self discovery. The humour is balanced with an intelligent portrayal of how each sister struggles, in different ways, with the cultural stereotypes and socio- political tensions that arise. The writer, Eirenie Houston, offers a balanced assessment of the complexities associated with tourism in Cuba, avoiding sentimentality or judgement. Set in the ambiance of Havana, with stunning cinematography and beautiful dance scenes, not least from the Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, this film will have you heading down to the travel agents.