Transcript for Duo’s Film Club - Fresa y chocolate

Hola, listeners. I'm Martina Cattro, and I don't know about you, but I've been loving Duos Film Club, the newest season of the Duolingo Spanish podcast. Today, we'll dive into the final episode of the series. All season, we've been exploring some of the most iconic Spanish language films. And whether you've seen them or not, you're going to learn what makes these movies so special in our signature bilingual format.

I'll be honest, I hadn't seen this movie, Fresa e Chocolate in ages. But I rewatched it for our film club, and it's definitely different from the other movies in this season. It's got a different pace and a different vibe, but it's a true gem of Cuban cinema. You might have heard of it because Fresa e Chocolate is one of the most well-known Cuban films around the world, and it's the only Cuban film that's ever been nominated for an Oscar.

I'm very happy to welcome Adriana Landa Udo, our special guest for today's episode. She's originally from Cuba, and studied art history at Loneo Verciadad de la Abana. Like you for us, she's a huge fan of this movie, and she's going to share how it inspired filmmakers and viewers around the world. So you know what to do next. Grab some popcorn and get comfy because we're about to learn so much about this groundbreaking film. Please keep in mind that Fadesa Chowalate is rated R. But our episode today is suitable for listeners of all ages. Before we talk about what makes this movie so special, let's review some essential Cuban history. The movie takes place in Havana, Cuba, or La Abana. In the late 1970s, about 20 years after Fidel Castro took power in the Cuban revolution, or La Revolucion. It's important to remember if this chocolate was funded by the state and had to be approved. So it only reveals aspects of Cuban life that the regime allowed to be highlighted. It didn't touch issues that Cuban authorities have been reluctant to acknowledge, like racial discrimination. Here's Seriana.

Many people in Cuba embraced the revolution. It's socialist ideals and policies. But others faced discrimination and were marginalized because they didn't completely follow the regime's policies, which, to be clear, were very homophobic. And we see that reflected in the two protagonists of Fresa Ijokolate. First we meet David, a young university student who's passionate about the revolution. Then there's Diego. He's a middle-aged gay artist and he's frustrated by the regime's censorship of the arts and persecution of the LGBTQ community.

They're basically polar opposites. Then, by chance, the two men meet at an ice cream shop. But after David learns that Theo's gay, he decides to spy on him. Because, again, David is part of the communist party, but Ethel Gomunista. And he really believes in the revolution's ideals. The new government saw homosexuality as dangerous, so David feels it's his duty to report him. But after spending time together, an interesting dynamic develops between these two main characters. Now that we've covered the basic plot, let's explore why this film is so treasured. One reason is that it shows everyday life in Cuba in the 1970s, like the scene in the ice cream shop, or Eladiria, where the Viden Diego meet. It's called Copelia, and Adriana tells us it's one of her favorite spots in La Avana.

We also hear local music on the streets. The characters walk along the water in La Avana, and we see the city's gorgeous architecture at Diego's apartment.

But I love all these details. There's so much culture to explore. But what makes Frisay Chocolates such a brave film is the friendship between David and Diego. The director, Tomascut de Rosalia, reveals in a very powerful way how difficult it was for gay people in Cuba to be accepted. Adriana explains that freedom for the LGBTQ community was severely limited on the island until the 2000s.

When Ferreci chocolate was released in 1993, the idea of acceptance was still revolutionary in Cuba and around the world, which was grappling with the AIDS crisis. But this movie broke that silence in a significant way. It spread a message of support for the LGBTQ community in Cuba and beyond, inspiring other filmmakers to tackle social issues in their films.

Now let's get to a scene from the movie. For an extra learning moment in our segment, Bonnet Play, or Press Play, so you can deepen your cultural understanding. For today, we picked one of the opening moments of the movie, because it explains the title for Desa Itopolate. And you're going to get some extra practice listening to the Cuban accent. Are you ready? Here we go.

We see the busy ice cream shop Copelia, and Diego takes a seat at the Vids table. They're strangers, but Diego wants to try and pick up the handsome student. David is clearly uncomfortable, as Diego begins to eat his strawberry ice cream.

The Eagle makes a joke about the government exporting the good ice cream and keeping a watery version for Cubans. He keeps chatting, but when David clances at the artist's books, Diego turns the conversation to authors. He even mentioned some writers who were banned in Cuba. That's when David reveals his red ID card for the Communist Party, moving it from one shirt pocket to another. It's a sign that the young revolutionary could denounce Diego for having these books. Diego responds with this comment. Diego is clearly stirring the pot. He knows his books are banned, and he mocks David because he follows the rules of La Juventud, the youth league of Cuba's Communist Party. But that doesn't stop the two from becoming friends later. One thing that stands out to me is how the scenes sets up the movie's title. Here's Adiana's explanation of the scene.

If you've been listening to DoO's film club, you know what comes next. We have some Dactylscoodyos cells that we think will give you some extra inspiration and behind the scenes trivia about the movie. I'm excited to share the fun facts Adiana has for us. Here we go, fun fact number one. The actor who played Diego Jorge Perugarria portrayed as a sophisticated and cultured artist, but off-screen Perugarria was living a very different reality. In the early 1990s, when the film was made, there was an economic crisis in Cuba, so like many other people, the actor went to great lengths to feed his family, and this had an impact on screen.

Fun fact number two is about how the film was received by everyday people in Cuba during the country's annual film festival. It drew a lot of attention and what it was released abroad in the US. It became a box office hit.

And now, fun fact number three. We mentioned earlier that most of the movie takes place in Diego's apartment. It's inside a magnificent building with marble floors and tall ceilings. It turns out that the movie made Diego's Wadida or Dan so famous that tourists wanted to visit.

Okay, that was our last official fun fact, but we have one more for those who've seen the movie. Because... It's a spoiler. So if you haven't watched for this day chocolate yet, come back when you've seen it or skip ahead to the end. Alright, here it is. Near the end of the movie, Diego makes a desperate choice. After being blacklisted by the government, he decides to leave the island. And what is likely their last time seeing each other. The two friends have ice cream one more time. But get this. Now it's David, the young, straight revolutionary, who chooses the strawberry ice cream. It's a moment that brings us back full circle to the opening of the film. And it shows that Fresa Ichokolate is more than just a clever title. Adriana explains how it's a symbol for their friendship and the film's central message.

But what a powerful message to conclude this episode. And this special season of the Duolingo Spanish podcast, Duos Film Club. Thank you to our guest Adiana Landa Udo. She's currently living in Mexico City and works as a TV and film producer.

And that's a wrap on Duo's Film Club. We'd love to know what you thought of this series. You can write us an email at podcast at duolingo.com or send us an audio message on WhatsApp at plus one 703 953 9369 and don't forget to say your name and where you're from. If you liked this episode, please share it. You can find the audio and the transcript at podcast.doolingo.com. You can also follow us on Apple podcasts or on your favorite listening app, so you never miss an episode. With over 500 million users, Duolingo is the world's leading language learning platform, and the most downloaded education up in the world. Duolingo believes in making education free, fun, and available to everyone. To join, download the app today or find out more at Duolingo.com. The Duolingo Spanish podcast is produced by Duolingo and Adon de Media. Our managing editor is David Alandete. Our senior editor is Laura Eisensey. The season was produced by the Lee Goldman and special thanks to all of our guests. We had conversations with Ana Laura Perez, Paula Ghrinspan, Mauricio Garcia, David Bernal and Adiana Landa Vuro. Our sound designers were Mariano Pashela, Mauricio Mendoza, and Andres Fescent Holtz. Andres was also our assistant producer. Our mixing and mastering engineer was Daniel Murcia. Luis Hill was our mixed supervisor. Our production manager was Roman Frontini, and our production coordinator was Nicola Sosa. Special thanks to Lorena Galliot and Giovana Romano Sanchez for fact checking. Do a little story editing and Spanish language support were provided by Alexa Fernandez, Laura McCumber, Lorena Kanski, Maria Mandeli, Gina Rubiro Sattrojillo, Paola Canion and Maria Alaskal, special thanks to Tim Shei. I'm the Executive Producer and your host, Martina Castro. Gracias por escuchar.