Feature film
The Adventures of Juan Quin Quin
Las aventuras de Juan Quin Quin
Julio García Espinosa · 1967
Synopsis
In pre-revolutionary Cuba, Juan Quin Quin, a resourceful peasant, lives by his wits: altar boy, bullfighter, circus act in which he plays Jesus on the cross. He clashes with the village's overbearing mayor and falls in love with Teresa. The film mixes every genre, the western, war, burlesque, the musical, the gangster film, with Godard-style intertitles, animation and comic strips.
Context
The screenplay is written with Samuel Feijóo, whose book serves as the starting point. Shot in one hundred and twelve minutes, with Julio Martínez in the title role, Erdwin Fernández as Jachero and Adelaida Raymat, photographed by Jorge Haydú, the film was released in July 1967 and was shown at the Moscow festival. Cinema Tropical gives it as the country's first feature-length comedy and one of the most-watched films in its history; it aims to bring together serious art and popular art.
Who it is for
A comedy of a little under two hours, in Spanish; it helps to recognise the genres it parodies, the western first of all.
Prizes and reception
No known prize; presented at the fifth Moscow festival, it is among the greatest successes of the island's cinema.
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