Viva

Young Jesus (Medina) ekes out a living on the streets of Havana by cruising for sex tourists and being hairdresser to the local drag queens, headed up by Mama (Garcia). As they lip-synch to Cuban pop at a nearby nightclub, Jesus looks to get in on the act himself by using his late mother's discarded records and calling himself Viva. But this ambition is curtailed by the sudden appearance of his brutish father, Angel (Perugorria), a former boxer and ex-con whom Jesus hasn't seen since he was three…

It’s been eight years since a Mark O’Halloran (Adam & Paul, Garage) script has made it to the screen (the writer also has a small role as a trick). It has been worth the wait: Viva is beautiful and touching and the best film Paddy Breathnach has directed since I Went Down.

An exploration of masculinity (and the perceived notion of masculinity) Viva is an insightful film. Jesus' bruiser of a father is embarrassed that his son walks around "parading his weakness." To him, being a man means physical strength; he still hangs out around his old boxing club watching men pummel other men. But to Jesus masculinity comes from mental strength – having the sack to stand up and do what’s right; he longs to get on stage in drag because "It's strong." The writer also comes at the parent-child quarrel at a different angle by infusing Jesus with a longing that's unexpected for a hero in such a narrative: despite Angel's menacing presence (it’s rumoured he once killed a man) and Jesus being desperately unhappy since his arrival, the boy still wishes for his father's blessing because, at the end of the day, he's his dad. This unspoken desire imparts the story with a real tenderness.

"The most beautiful slum in the world," Angel says as he gazes across his neighbourhood rooftops. He may be right: Breathnach works hard to instil the sights and sounds of the Cuban capital: Viva is awash with bright colours, bustling streets teeming with larger-than-life characters, and scenes dotted by upbeat music. It's a heady brew and only Smell-O-Vision would give the audience a better grasp of what it feels like to walk through Jesus' slum.

Medina, with his quiet and reserved nature, is a real find and his on-screen relationship with Perugorria is believable. But Luis Alberto Garcia threatens to run away with every scene when he’s on camera.