Strawberry and Chocolate (1993) on Netflix
In 1979 Havana, David, a communist student, meets Diego, a gay artist critical of the revolution. Miguel, David's classmate, wants him to spy on Diego, who wants more than friendship.
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb7.4/106,401 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
Trailer
Plot summary
In Havana in 1979, David is a university student and a committed communist. When Vivian, the woman he wants, marries someone older and richer, he meets Diego, a gay artist unhappy with how the Castro regime treats gay people and with the censored culture it enforces. Diego begins the friendship hoping to seduce David, who turns down his advances. Miguel, David's classmate, has other plans: he wants David to report on Diego's subversive life for the state. David agrees to be Diego's friend in order to pass information back, and the two disagree about communism, sexuality and what it means to be revolutionary.
Cast
- Joel Angelinoas German
- Andrés Cortinaas Santero
- Ricardo Ávilaas Taxi Driver (as Ricardo Avila)
- María Elena del Toroas Passenger 1
- Zolanda Oñaas Passenger 2
- Diana Iris del Puertoas Neighbor
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Strawberry and Chocolate (1993)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Strawberry and Chocolate is credited with opening up conversation about homosexuality in Cuba after its release, a dialogue linked to a more positive attitude towards queer people there and to Cuba legalizing same-sex marriage in 2022.
- Strawberry and Chocolate, directed by the Cuban filmmakers Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, was the first Cuban film to be nominated for an Academy Award.
- In the Cuba of the film's era, homophobia was written into law after the 1959 revolution and men could be arrested for appearing insufficiently masculine, such as having hair that was too long, before homosexuality was decriminalized in 1979, though gay people were urged to leave the country.
