Habanece can be considered a cult movie for many reasons. After the script was censored by the Cuban state, Habanece was shot without permission in the city of Havana in only 16 days. No monitors were used and the negative proportion was 3:1.
The script was censored twice and the tecnicians and crew had to return to Spain. Nebra was only one who stayed on the island. Almost all of the production budget had been spent during the two-month wait for approval from the ICAIC. Approval never arrived. Even after rewriting the script, no approval was given. Let´s not forget that this is an independent film, produced almost entirely by the director himself.
After seeking financing and sponsors, Nebra sold the 35mm negative and bought 16 mm negative. This format was chosen to reduce costs and recover some capital.
Shooting the film was enduring. Constantly exposed to the danger of being discovered and a lack of capital (the director even put some of his own belongings up for sale in Havana). The willpower of the excellent team and crew made the miracle possible. The film was shot in 16 days with an average of 14 hours of shooting a day.
Film: FUJIFILM Super F-Series
Format: 16 mm
Sound: Live (DAT)
Duration: 90 min.
Thriller
Nationality: Spain
Distribution: Bulbeck & Mas MADRID.
Locations:
Barrio Colón (Centro Habana) , Malecón Habanero, Cementerio de Colón, Hotel Deauville, Paladar La Guarida (Localización de Fresa y Chocolate) , Aeropuerto José Martí. Terminal Internacional, Parque de los enamorados (Habana Vieja)