Adela Legrá, who died on 2 January 2026, was an iconic figure in Cuban cinema and one of the most celebrated actors on the island’s film and television screens. Lucía was the film that brought her to the attention of audiences in Cuba—and far beyond—and Screen Cuba audiences will be delighted to see it will be a highlight of this year’s Festival. Described as “a symbol of the foundational era of revolutionary cinema”, she was admired for her natural, deeply expressive performances. In Lucía, Adela plays a peasant woman in the early years of the Revolution, a role that made her a powerful symbol of Cuban women and their fight for emancipation.

Adela grew up in a humble peasant family in eastern Cuba, working in coffee harvesting, crop planting and domestic labour. In the 1960s she became an activist in the Federation of Cuban Women, and her life changed when director Humberto Solás cast her in Manuela, a film that made a big impact at the time. Many important roles in Cuban cinema followed. But above all it was Lucia that ensured her legacy as “an essential reference point in Cuba’s cultural memory”.

Lucía (1968), directed by Humberto Solás. will be presented at Screen Cuba 2026