The Olden Heralds

Esperanza and Antonio “Tatá” González live in a ramshackle wooden hut in the Cuban countryside. They may both be approaching 90, but they still manage to take care of themselves. In just a few stunning, beautifully framed and lit black-and-white shots with the occasional hint of color, filmmaker Luis Alejandro Yerotells the story of this elderly couple. Tatá chops wood and uses earth to build a traditional charcoal oven. Meanwhile, Esperanza dozes on the couch. The deep grooves in their striking faces are the legacy of a long, hard-working life without any form of luxury.

New times force their way into these old lives by way of their dilapidated TV set. A new president has been elected, and for the first time in half a century his name isn’t Castro. Tatá and Esperanza sit and watch the news together. But at their age, how are they supposed to react to these political upheavals? They’re much more preoccupied with keeping the oven lit and hoping the approaching storm doesn’t blow it out.