It’s still without stateside distribution, but last time we posted about Lucy Mulloy‘s feature film debut Una Noche was when Fortissimo Films acquired international rights to the US/Cuban production (the film has been acquired by IFC for domestic distribution and the date will be announced soon), which has been touring the film festival circuit since its premiere at the Berlin International and Tribeca Film festivals in early 2012, and garnering awards and critical acclaim along the way.

You might recall last year when two of its Cuban stars – Anailin De La Rua De La Torre and Javier Nunez Florian – decided to stay in the USA instead of returning to Cuba, after the film premiered at Tribeca in New York.

Una Noche – currently screening at the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa –  centers on two Cuban teens – Raul and Elio – who consider escaping the communist and broken-down country to flee to Miami, FL. Conflict arises when Raul has no choice to escape after being accused of assaulting a foreigner, and now Elio must make a choice between freedom and leaving his twin sister behind.

Here’s the full synopsis:

Fed up with living in poverty while catering to a privileged
tourist class, Cuban teens Raul and Elio are tantalized by the idea of
fleeing the confines of their broken-down country for a new life in
Miami. When Raul is accused of assaulting a foreigner, he has no choice
but to escape, but Elio must decide whether his desire for freedom and
helping Raul are worth abandoning his beloved twin sister, Lila.
Brimming with the nervous energy of Havana’s restless youth and the
evocative cinematography of the sun-bleached capital, Una Noche follows one sweltering day, full of hope and fraught with tension, that burns to a shocking climax.

Winner of the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award for
Emerging Narrative Filmmaker in 2010, director Lucy Mulloy spent years
living in Havana to research Una Noche. Her film is infused with
sensitivity, depth, and fearlessness as it unfolds in a city rarely seen
by American audiences. Untrained actors play the leads, and their
aching vulnerability and honest performances leave a lasting impression.
A universal coming-of-age story in an unlikely place, Una Noche marks the directing debut of an important, passionate new voice.

So far, we have seen a few images of the film, but a trailer and a few clips have surfaced online. I’m loving the atmospheric look and intriguing feel of what I’m seeing. Watch below:

Clip from Lucy Mulloy’s Film, Una Noche from FestQuest on Vimeo.