The Cuban is a 2019 Canadian drama film, written and directed by Sergio Navarretta. Ana Golja stars as Mina, a young pre-med student who has fled Afghanistan with her family and starts working at a long-term care facility. There she meets an elderly Cuban musician named Luis Garcia (played by Louis Gossett Jr.), who has advanced dementia. Luis is a former star in his native country, but now spends his days in the nursing home listening to his own music and occasionally playing an old guitar.
Mina and Luis quickly form a close bond, as she shares her love of music with him and helps him reconnect with the songs he played and wrote in his youth. The musical connection between Mina and Luis becomes even stronger when she discovers a cache of Luis's old recordings and begins to help him record new music.
However, not everyone is on board with their friendship. Mina's boss, the facility's head nurse (Shohreh Aghdashloo), is concerned about the risks of an emotional attachment between staff and residents, especially given Luis's condition. Meanwhile, Mina's conservative father (Raoul Bhaneja) disapproves of her spending time with a non-Muslim man.
The film deals with themes of memory, immigration, aging, and cultural identity, as well as the power of music to transcend borders and connect people from all walks of life. The Cuban received positive reviews for its strong performances, sensitive handling of complex issues, and heartfelt message of human connection.
