This film heralded a new genre of sociocritical comedy in Cuba in 1983 and was the debut feature of director Juan Carlos Tabío. It is full of Cubanisms – popular everyday problems, language and attitudes of that era and a range of characters from an idealist architect to an opportunistic bureaucrat.

Gloria wants her adult daughter to find a husband, who she considers a “good match”, and engineers a chain of house swaps to move to a “better neighbourhood” to make things go her way – but her daughter has different ideas and to love who she wants. It examines the desire to get ahead in a society that says everyone is equal but also celebrates the resourcefulness with which people solve their own problems.

Tabio wanted to make his Cuban audience laugh but also to recognise themselves and reflect on possible solutions. The film attracted huge audiences of 2.2 million. At that time Cubans could not buy or sell houses but could swap them to move. The film caused such a public debate that parliament changed the law so people could own their homes and rent out rooms, in an attempt to ease housing problems in the city.

AWARDS 1984 Best female performance (Isabel Santos) at I International Festival of Film, Television and Video of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Third Prize VI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Havana, Cuba.

CAST Rosita Fornés, Isabel Santos, Mario Balmaseda, Ramoncito Veloz, Silvia Planas, Manuel Porto, Mirtha Ibarra, Maritza Rodríguez, Litico Rodríguez, Rini Cruz, Raúl Eguren, José Antonio Coro.

House for Swap / Se permuta | Juan Carlos Tabío | 1983, Cuba | 103m | colour, Spanish with English subtitles | restored

Tickets on sale now at The Garden Cinema , central London for screening Sat 21 March 4.20pm