Starting Héctor Medina, Adria Arjona and Eros de la Puente, the independent drama tells the true story of the Cubans who injected themselves with HIV
Héctor Medina, film star “Geeks», Think that the Cuban spirit is punk rock.
Released at Christmas 2024 and now available on streaming services, “Los Frikis” tells the story of two brothers who secretly launch out in Nirvana as they try to survive the island “Special period” In the 1990s. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba's economy accompanied it, relying on the support of the USSR. The shortages and the rationing that followed have made daily life extremely difficult on the island.
“LOS FRIKIS” leaves us in the middle of this rarity.
The film is entirely sexual, rock'n'roll and rebellion, even if these are heavy things. It is inspired by the true history of Hundreds of estimated Cubans Who deliberately injected himself with HIV to access the sanatoriums funded by the government, where there was food and even ice cream. The result is a devastating but fascinating work of the historical drama.
Eros de la Puente slanders in “The Geeks”.
(Wayward / Range)
Medina plays Paco, a head singer Mohawée with a wild sequence. To develop his character, the Cuban actor remembers how Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, who co-wrote and co-written the film, said to him: “I want a wolf, I want a wolf, I want a wild wolf.” And this is exactly what he delivered, as well as moments of tenderness.
In a first scene, before anyone who went to the sanatorium, Paco kills a wandering cat so that his group comrades and his little brother can eat. As a young brother Gustavo, the actor Eros de la Puente shows both hunger and the heart as he agonized on the death of a feline.
“There is a feeling of maturity that the young Cubans were who is part of growing up in Cuba, because it is almost like a jungle,” said Puente for a zoom call, adding that he had to return to a time of his life to see this young innocence again. “You have to learn to survive and do things for yourself. And Gustavo does not really have this characteristic. ”
“LOS FRIKIS” only becomes wild after the cat's meal – if not by destroying Gustavo's innocence, then certainly testing it far beyond the typical maturity tale. Paco does not grow as much as there is a force of nature.
Adria ArjonaWho recently played in the dark thriller of Zoë Kravitz “Flashing twice“(2024), as well as romantic comedy”Pledged killer(2023), completes the casting as a romantic interest in one of the brothers.
Take life to the Cuban story with sympathetic and convincing characters, “Los Frikis” Dramose how difficult it was to survive in Cuba in the 90s – which is an important service, according to Puente. “People have no idea what's going on in Cuba,” he said. “Cubans, essentially, wake up to find food for this day, and it's a very sad way to live.”
Medina, who was born in 1989, agrees. “The truth is that at the moment it's worse than ()” 90 “, he says. In 2024, hurricanesmonitoring earthquakesThe already aged infrastructure of the island. Rations and shortages have increased. The power outages are common.
This political reality makes history particularly timely. Now based in Miami, Medina remembers the real punks of the 90s with emotion, sharing the moment when his uncle took him to a “special place” which only played rock 'n' roll and when the members of the counter-culture met.
“They were good, just different people, people who were looking for freedom,” said Medina before telling when, in adolescence, he was able to meet the alleged last, the real friki – Gerson Govea – Who injected himself with HIV at the time and is still alive. “I remember the mohawk, black clothes, piercings, a lot of tattoos. He passed me a cigar and told me. And I remember that he was so protected with all the young people in this place. It was like a family. “
This feeling of camaraderie has extended to the production of “Los Frikis”, where several crew members displayed Mohawks to correspond to the main man, in solidarity with the community he represents.
Héctor Medina plays a rebellious rocker in “Lo Fry”.
(Wayward / Range)
Production has also favored intercultural learning in other unexpected ways.
“I learn my country through Mark and Tyler, who are two American guys – it's so funny,” said Puente, now based in Los Angeles, who did not know this aspect of the history of her nation before reading the script. “I had no idea,” he adds. “As I read it, I was doubtful and I said to myself:” It cannot be quite true. “So I rushed and went to my grandmother and in my father's house, and I started asking them questions.
The film will certainly start more conversations on what led punks on the island to such lengths in the 90s – if people see it. The film obtained a limited theatrical release last Christmas day, with projections in Los Angeles and New York. It's now Available to broadcast On the video, YouTube, Apple TV and more.
When Medina is asked about her hopes for the public to see his film, he clearly indicates how he wants to inspire them to act in their own life.
“I want people to think about freedom. Think of what people are (are) able to do for freedom,” he said. “We must think of the rock'n'n 'Roll spirit. … We must not be under control.”
