| Chronicles of the Absurd | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Miguel Coyula |
| Written by | Miguel Coyula |
| Produced by | Miguel Coyula, Lynn Cruz |
| Starring | Lynn Cruz Miguel Coyula Tania Bruguera |
| Music by | Sentimental Idiots, Porno para Ricardo, Jonathan Formell |
| Distributed by | Habanero Film Sales |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | Cuba |
| Languages | Spanish, Russian |
Chronicles of the Absurd (Spanish: Crónicas del absurdo) is a 2024 Cuban documentary film directed by Miguel Coyula. It held its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam where it won the award for Best Film at the Envision Competition.
Plot
When independent filmmaker Miguel Coyula casts upcoming actor Lynn Cruz in his dystopian feature Blue Heart (film) in 2011, it marks the beginning of a professional as well as a romantic bond. It is also the starting point of this documentary, exposing a range of disturbing interactions the artists subsequently had with a wide variety of institutions and individuals — in Kafka-esque fashion, oppression looms everywhere. Even outside of Cuba, where they are met with similar dogmatism coming from critics of the regime.
In ten elliptic chapters, Chronicles of the Absurd tells this story mostly through audio recordings, often made in secret. Verbatim transcripts, displayed in graphic text underlining the dynamics of the conversations, are paired with head shots, logos, film posters, and animated paintings by Cuban artist Antonia Eiriz.
Reception
Dutch newspaper Het Parool described it as "a Kafkaesque Masterpiece". At Los Experimentos, Pablo Gamba wrote "Chronicles of the Absurd is also a documentary about the commitment and courage of sincere friendship, love and solidarity." Documentary Magazine's Nicolas Rapold called it "a fascinating dispatch that freely tests audiovisual bounds of documentary"
Awards
- Envision Competition Award for Best Film, IDFA, The Netherlands, 2024
See also
References
- "'Trains,' 'Chronicles of the Absurd,' 'American Pastoral' Win Main Awards at Documentary Festival IDFA". Variety. 2024-11-21. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- "Momentary Shelter: Miguel Coyula and Lynn Cruz Discuss the Risks of Making 'Chronicles of the Absurd'". Docuentary Magazine. 2024-12-12. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- Hielkema, David (November 18, 2024). "Vrijheid in een kooi: Chronicles of the Absurd is een Kafkaëske meesterproef". Het Parool. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- Gamba, Pablo (November 25, 2024). "Crónicas del Absurdo". Los Experimentos. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- Rapold, Nicolas (December 17, 2024). "IDFA 2024 What we Owe". Documentary Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- "Cuba's Miguel Coyula wins IDFA Envision Competition". Cinema Tropical. 2024-11-21. Retrieved November 21, 2024.