Hurricane Flora: Ghosts Of A Revolution

Hurricane Flora, directed by Gabriel de Varona, is a 17-minute uneven but moving canvas of memory, trauma, family, and the centerpiece of it all: a rocky, but wholly loving father-daughter relationship, of which, in turn, the father is the highlight.

Ernesto (Roberto Marrero), though otherwise vocal about most things, is closed off about his past in Cuba. Unstoppable force against the man’s immovable position, his daughter Samantha (Karina Curet) is a documentary filmmaker with a deadline; she is going to now use an opportune hurricane to get him talking. As dramatic and heavy as it is, the film uses comedy to balance things out, while also using it to throw the heaviness in sharp relief. Samantha’s partner, Burt (the late Gregory Maxim Burdett), and mother, Pilar (Isabel Viera), form the supporting characters, responsible largely for the comedy arising from their relationship dynamics.

Deadline looming, Samantha uses the excuse of a hurricane to crash with her parents. The father-daughter butt heads almost right away, but it is only on petty things, almost making it look like this is the only way they express affection. Burt, hapless and eager to please, rubs Ernesto the wrong way, also almost immediately. The mother, caught between her stubborn husband and arguably more stubborn daughter — the former being a bigger headache — is a whole category of angry and tired.

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The writing ensures that Samantha’s motives are understood; beyond her practical concerns and goals, it is clear that this is a character desperate for answers, just so she can understand her father as a person, as well as know her own history. When she finally manages to convince him, details of a heartbreak begin to spill out. The loss of faith in what he had fought for, the loss of purpose, and the worst of all, the loss of his brother. Curet and Marrero are excellent performers together, riveting in each scene they share.

The scene culminates in a dramatic entrance of the hurricane, leading to the inevitable fallout that had been quietly brewing. But just as the hurricane, it passes, leaving behind wounds, as well as strengthened roots. The portrait of a chaotic family that Hurricane Flora paints feels honest, identifiable, and thankfully, hopeful.

Watch Hurricane Flora Short Film Trailer