It’s never easy to be separated from your siblings by a vast ocean, but imagine how painful it would be when you’ve been left orphaned by the sudden death of a parent. That’s the situation three Havana siblings must confront in the new documentary Parque Lenin, by Itziar Leemans and Carlos Mignon. The film’s title refers to the Havana amusement park that happens to be the last place all three siblings shared a memory before the eldest brother, Antoin, left for France to pursue studies in Bel Canto. Left to fend for themselves in Havana, Yesuán must take on the role of both father and mother as his little sister, Karla, enters into a complicated age of sexual discovery.
Shot between France and Cuba by the Franco-Mexican directing duo, the trailer suggests a handsomely photographed observational documentary filled with meticulously composed shots suggestive of loneliness and isolation that no doubt permeate each sibling as they find their way in the world without the support and guidance of their parents. The melancholy tone is deftly underscored by an opera piece Antoin sings in a rehearsal session, one that speaks of love, loss, and saying goodbye.
Parque Lenin had its world premiere at the prestigious doc fest Visions du Réel before making a homecoming lap as part of the official documentary selection at the Morelia International Film Festival.