Susana Tejera

The "edad de la peseta" or silly age is the term used in Cuba for the pre-adolescent period from the age of seven to the age of eleven. Set in 1958 in Havana, the year that culminates the Revolution, ten-year-old Samuel has just arrived in town with his recently divorced mother. They take up residence in the house of his eccentric grandmother Violeta, and Samuel is introduced to a new, mysterious world where Samuel finds himself an adult in comparison to his child-like mother.

In Havana, where economic difficulties are numerous, two young people try to find out if love and aspirations can survive in a city defined by adversity.

Based on the classic Cuban piece The Old House by writer Abelardo Estorino, the film tells the story of Esteban, who returns home after a 14-year absence when he learns of the imminent death of his father. Residing outside of his native Cuba he re-encounters a past that is almost intact. Secrets, old grudges, misunderstandings, and intolerance leave him to stay in a home where time seems to have stood still.