Madrid Spain.- Cuban actor Vladimir Cruz, internationally known for his leading role in the film Strawberry and Chocolate, He turns 57 this July 26.
Cruz, born in Placetas, Villa Clara, at age 15 began to venture into the theater as an amateur actor; and two years later he began his studies at the Instituto Superior de Arte de Havana.
Although his fame gained worldwide after Strawberry and Chocolate, Directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío was nominated for the Oscar Awards, Vladimir Cruz has extensive experience in the cinematographic world inside and outside of Cuba. He has worked in more than 30 films, among which are A bride for David (1985), A paradise under the stars (1999), Waiting list (2000), The horn of plenty (2008) and 7 days in Havana (2011).
He has also ventured into directing, as was the case with the film affinities (2009), co-directed and, again, starring alongside Jorge Perugorría.
Throughout his career he has received numerous awards such as the ACE Award (Association of Show Writers New York) for best actor in film 1995 and the Ágora Award from the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival.
Strawberry and Chocolate for Vladimir Cruz
star in the feature film Strawberry and Chocolate, the first of his film career meant for Cruz entering the world of the seventh art on the right foot. The film, in which he played David, a prejudiced young communist in Havana in the 1970s, achieved worldwide fame when it was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Film in 1994.
The film, also starring Jorge Perugorría and Mirtha Ibarra, was one of the first to address the issue of homosexuality in Cuban cinema.
In statements to the press the actor, who lives between Havana and Madrid, has indicated that Strawberry and Chocolate “It determined what his career was going to be like.”
“There’s always a discussion about what’s better: having one big movie early on and then a lot of movies that don’t quite measure up or at the end of your career. Having her at the beginning opens many doors for you in the world of cinema, it gives you a business card. (…) On the side of being my first film, it gave me the opportunity to work with Tomás Gutiérrez Alea”, says Vladimir Cruz.
Strawberry and Chocolateconverted into a classic filmography on the Island, almost 30 years later, remains valid, due to the fact that current Cuban society continues to drag along similar problems.
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