Read here about the director Humberto Solas’s ideas when interviewed at the time his film Lucia was made in Cuba.

“In a general sense, globally, Lucía is a film of quests. […] There are several points that identify these stories: the presence of women, the attitude of women in certain eras, and their relationship with men. On the other hand, what interests me most is that, throughout the entire film, there is a theme that isn’t precisely about women or men; it’s the theme of society, although that also has several levels. The level that seems most important to me is the one that refers to a process of decolonization, where I try to reflect this process. […]

I didn’t plan a style for the first story, nor for the second or the third. I was going to film every day with the same spirit, the same interest, and perhaps with the same style. For me, style is something very spontaneous. What is true is that each situation had a very particular mise-en-scène. It wasn’t planned as a style, but the reality of the plot led to a “style” that is felt afterward as a result. I really like the camerawork; it’s good work, very fresh. There’s a great deal of coherence between my work and the cameraman’s, because Jorge Herrera and I share the same approach. […] There are some extraordinary performances. […] each character seeks to define herself through the pursuit of freedom. Some seek it individually, others socially, others deeply internally. But I think there’s one thing that unites all these characters: each one wants to justify herself to life, to the search for freedom, somewhat utopian. I don’t think anyone finds it throughout the entire film, due to a lack of understanding. [As a concept, I’d like Lucía to convey to the audience] that coherence between the female character and society.

HUMBERTO SOLÁS “Lucía and the search for decolonization” interview conducted by Enrique Pineda Barnet)   Bohemia (Havana), October 18, 1968

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