Up to a Point (Hasta Cierto Punto) was made in 1983 by one of the founders of Cuban revolutionary cinema, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

It is a clever drama about fighting machismo in all areas of Cuban society. The female lead is a dockworker, played by one of Cuba’s distinguished actors, Mirta Ibarra. It is a celebrated film with meaning for all of society.

This clever and entertaining satire tells the story of Oscar, a married scriptwriter who is researching the social problem of male chauvinism in the workplace for a film. Focussing on dockworkers, he encounters the sexism and contradictions of the film director, Arturo, and…himself, when he starts an affair with female dockworker Lina.

This film, set in the present day, clearly aimed to challenge the Cuban public about their own behaviour in the workplace and outside it, encouraging women to call out sexism and stereotypes, like Lina does. The constitution of 1976 had enshrined sexual equality but in the early 1980s there was a shift in gear in Cuban cinema to redefine itself as more urgent and critical of ongoing problems in society. Tomas Alea was of the view that the only way a society develops is through a critical awareness of its problems. But he is also being self-critical – as a male director making a film about a male director making a film about men not giving credit to women – why not let women speak for themselves?

The mix of fiction and current reality reinforces the revolution as an ongoing process. As the film opens a real life dockworker being interviewed says “I’ve changed by 80 per cent…. Equality between men and women is right and proper, but up to a point…”

Up to a Point will be part of the programme in Screen Cuba 2026. Details coming soon.