If you’re one of those (men) who is ashamed to be seen shedding a tear or two at a movie, Viva Cuba is definitely not for you. I defy anyone to watch this delightful film and not experience an emotional rollercoaster as the two young stars battle fiercely to save their close friendship.

Viva Cuba

And yet Viva Cuba is certainly no sentimental tearjerker. It tells the story of Jorgito and Malu, a pair of 12 year old who have formed a seemingly unbreakable bond of friendship. Their closeness is all the more remarkable given the animosity that exists between their mothers: Jorgito’s mother is a passionate communist while Malu’s mother is a devout Christian.

Indeed it is Malu’s mother who is keen to get away from Cuba and wants to take her daughter with her. They live in Havana but require Malu’s father, who lives at the other end of the country, to sign her exit papers.

Rural Cuba

What follows is a daring road trip undertaken by the two children as they make a desperate journey across Cuba to try and prevent Malu’s father from signing the documents and splitting them apart forever.

Spun around this simple tale the adventures of the two protagonists are then played out against the backdrop of the Cuban countryside. We get to see images of Cuba beyond the classic Havana shots that are now familiar to most of us; the landscapes are memorable. Along the way Jorgito and Malu meet an assortment of very colourful characters.

Cuban Road Trip

Viva Cuba is a great movie to watch before a holiday to Cuba. It provides a clever insight into some of the cultural conflicts in the country and the ways in which people are managing to survive. It will probably encourage visitors to get out of their resorts and explore the countryside by car on their own Cuba tour.

But for all these insights the most powerful message of the movie is not a political one. In Jorgita and Malu we see the embodiment of a perfect friendship that is driven to the point of destruction by the selfishness of their parents. We see the world through the eyes of both adults and children and are left in no doubt which have show the greater levels of wisdom.

As for the ending, well I won’t spoil it for you. It is an excellent movie and one that I would recommend to anyone. It’s enough to say that you’ll need those tissues close to hand!

Photo: Henryk Kotowski via Wikimedia Commons

Next time you visit Cuba and stay at one of the Iberostar hotels, we encourage you to get out  and explore the countryside.

Saving Grace

Sometimes when you watch a bad movie the only compliments you can make are about the scenery. For many people this was the case with the recent remake of Clash of the Titans. Widely criticised for the quality of the 3-D graphics as well as the dubious plot, the landscapes of the Canary Islands were the only feature of the movie to have emerged with credit. Even the actors spoke very highly of their own surprise in discovering the natural diversity and dramatic views across Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote, where the filming took place.

Clash of the Titans

The 2010 Clash of the Titans movie appears to take several strands of Greek mythology and blend them together in an arbitrary way to create a story. The hero Perseus is destined to save the people of Argos and avenge the deaths of his parents by slaying Kraken, the monster belonging to Hades. His mission takes him into the underworld where he fights and kills the legendary Medusa, taking her head as the only thing that can kill the otherwise invincible Kraken. The body count piles up for both man and beast, while creatures fly over Canarian coastlines, fight atop the islands’ famous volcanoes and make their way through the pine trees that cover a large part of Tenerife.

Throw in a mixture of death, love, betrayal, revenge and honour and you get the idea. Critics panned the movie yet it had enough success with its fans to warrant an upcoming sequel.

More than beaches in Tenerife

As for Tenerife and its neighbouring islands, the local people are delighted with the international exposure they received. Known by many for being a year-round beach destination, relatively few visitors leave the resorts of south Tenerife to experience the interior of the island. Yet for those on holiday in Tenerife who take a trip to explore the forests and the gorges of the island there are plenty of surprises to delight them.

The island is becoming increasingly known for the activities on offer, with hiking, cycling and kayaking all popular ways to explore the hidden parts of Tenerife. Perhaps you won’t see the flying horse Pegasus pass over your head while you’re wandering through the forest, but you never know – it might just be a visitor on a zip line!

Photo: By MarisaLR  via Wikimedia Commons

Tenerife is the sun-kissed vacation hotspot. If you are looking for relaxation, adventure, good times and fantastic weather, book your room at one of the Iberostar Hotels!

Short movies

Those of a certain age might remember when a trip to the cinema usually involved two movies: the one you’d paid to go and see and a short film, usually no more than 15 minutes, that was quite likely a director’s first attempt at getting noticed by a wider audience. Those days are long gone, but look closely and you will find the occasional short film still being produced, often being added as a bonus on a DVD and telling a back-story to the main feature.

Fast and Furious

One such example is the 20 minute movie Los Bandoleros, directed by the one and only Vin Diesel and shot in the Dominican Republic. Action movie buffs and fans of  Vin Diesel films will be familiar with the five The Fast and the Furious films, in which Vin Diesel and friends race a whole array of fast cars, carry lots of bank notes in suspicious sacks and spend most of their time in the company of the type of beautiful girls your parents probably warned you about.

Los Bandoleros served as a prequel to Fast and Furious, the imaginatively-titled fourth installment in the series. At the start of Fast and Furious Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his crew are hijacking fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic, but the reasons for them being in the country are not so clear. This is where Los Bandoleros helps to fill the gap in the story. The short story tells the tale of how the gang reform in the Dominican Republic and includes the small matter of a jail break to get everyone back together.

Perhaps the best thing about short movies such as Los Bandoleros is that they can be watched free of charge and without any fuss. In fact the whole movie is available on Youtube in two installments. The producers are presumably happy for it to be distributed widely as it helps promote the main movie.

The Perfect Beach?

The Dominican Republic also comes out well from Vin Diesel’s short movie. He is a self-confessed admirer of the country and it was no surprise it was chosen as a filming location. Check out the final scenes played out on the stunning Caribbean beach with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez; you may just want to drop everything and find your own way to this tropical paradise.

Photo: riccardodivirgilio on Flickr

If you ever decide to drop everything and find your way to this tropical paradise, stay at one of the Iberostar Hotels in  Dominican Republic.

Spring Break Secrets

“What happens on Spring Break stays on Spring Break”, or so the story goes. As a Brit I’ve never been exposed to the American spring break tradition. My American friends assure me that this is a good thing and having watched several TV shows about the infamous college spring break while living in the US I tend to agree. But even as a spring break novice it seems clear to me that the last thing you want to happen is for the folks back at home to know what you got up to on your vacation in Mexico or on the US coast.

Which is why the concept of One Bad Trip is such a strange one. A reality TV show in the finest trashy tradition of the genre, the show sends a ‘lucky’ person on an all-expenses spring break, informing them only that they are being filmed as part of a show for MTV. What they don’t realise is that the producers have invited their nearest and dearest (usually parents but in some cases girlfriends and boyfriends) to observe their wild antics at first hand. These shocked onlookers are then revealed to the subjects at the end of the episode. Cue looks of horror, extreme embarrassment and the odd break-up.

Party in Cancun

Given what appears to be a winning recipe it’s a wonder that One Bad Trip had such a short life, being shelved after only one season in 2004. Cancun and Playa del Carmen were featured as popular Spring Break destinations and despite changes in Americans’ vacation patterns the Yucatan peninsula has remained a favorite destination for young college kids to fly out and let their hair down. The miles of sandy beach, available alcohol (Mexico has a lower minimum age than in the US), and plenty of bars and clubs that cater for the younger crowd have kept Cancun and the nearby resorts top of the list for that all-important spring break.

No More Secrets

With the demise of the show those taking a Cancun spring break are probably relieved to know that that they can now get up to all the things that they would not want their parents to know about without fear of them suddenly appearing with a camera crew at the end of their trip. Then again, perhaps parents no longer need to go to such extreme measures to find out the truth. All they need to do nowadays is log into their son or daughters’ Facebook accounts!

Photo: by Funchal via Wikimedia Commons

The Yucatan peninsula has remained a favorite destination for young college kids to fly out and let their hair down. The Iberostar Hotels are family oriented, so if you decide to go this time a year you wont run into the spring breaker’s!

In Like Flynn

It’s not easy to create a work of fiction and drop into it a character who was not only real, but so well known that many critics claim a first-hand knowledge of the personality of his character. Yet when Margaret Cezair-Thompson wrote The Pirate’s Daughter and told the story of Errol Flynn and his time in Jamaica, she took on precisely this challenge. That the reviews of her book are generally positive is perhaps the highest compliment of her success.

The Pirate’s Daughter starts with Flynn shipwrecked on his ship Zaca and arriving on a Jamaican beach near Port Antonio. He is keen to lie low, escaping as he is from legal proceedings against him in the United States for sexual misdemeanors. He soon has his own house in Jamaica and promptly falls in love not only with the island, but also with its attractive inhabitants. Ida, a beautiful young girl of 13 and the daughter of Flynn’s driver Eli Joseph, has a serious crush on Flynn. He however ignores her attentions, at least until she reaches the age of 16.

Growing up on Jamaica

Soon enough, Ida is pregnant to Flynn and gives birth to May. The book then follows the life of May as she battles her way through a harsh childhood. Errol Flynn doesn’t stick around (he dies when she is still a child) and May and Ida face various prejudices due to their mixed-race heritage. Ida goes to work in the US while May is left to fight alone, displaying more than a few of the headstrong and reckless character traits of her famous father.

The book has been well received in Jamaica. As she spins out the story of May and Ida, Cezair-Thompson weaves into the tale a rich and colourful depiction of her native Jamaica; of its varied and often spectacular landscapes, of its multi-layered and complex history and most vividly of all of the diversity of the island’s people.

Flynn’s Jamaican Legacy

Some folks in Jamaica would also have raised a wry smile at the theme of Cezair-Thompson’s book. Errol Flynn was a renowned womanizer and there are more than a few middle aged folks on the island who claim to be the offspring of Flynn’s dalliances with local women. If Flynn is a very real character in the story, May is someone with whom quite a few people on the island might identify themselves!

Photo: Donan Raven via Wikimedia Commons

Just like Errol Flynn fell in love with the Jamaica; you too can experience love at first sight with the island when you visit one of the Iberostar Hotels in Montego Bay.

Gallipoli The Movie

Ask most Americans to think of famous actors in a war movie and their thought will immediately turn to Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan or Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor. Ask the same question to the average Australian and they will be almost unanimous in naming Mel Gibson for his role as Frank Dunne in the classic movie Gallipoli. Indeed despite the movies Mel Gibson had starred in before the release of Gallipoli, many consider this to be the film that made him an A list star.

The 1981 film by Peter Weir is set against the backdrop of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915, in which around 100,000 men were killed including many from Australia and New Zealand. The sacrifice of those involved in the terror of the Turkish trenches is commemorated each day on April 25th, known across Australia and New Zealand as ANZAC Day.

From Innocence to War

The story begins in western Australia and centres on two young men and how they went to war. Archie is an innocent young man who is greatly influenced by his uncle’s reading of the Jungle Book. He decides that just as it was time for Mowgli to leave the wolves who raised him and make his own way in the big bad world, so he too needed to become a man and fight in the military. He meets Frank at an athletics carnival and they travel together to Perth to enlist for military service.

Their journey takes them through exotic Cairo where the young men live it up in the bars and brothels of the city before being dispatched to the hellish scenes of Gallipoli in Turkey. The scenes vividly portray the brutality of trench warfare, with the two men fighting desperately for the Allies while seeing death and destruction pile up around them.

Ironically none of the scenes were shot in Turkey, with all of the battle sequences carefully recreated in South Australia. Only the scenes at the Pyramids and in the bazaars were filmed in Egypt.

Go to Turkey today and you’ll find that the battlefields at Gallipolli provide a sombre but highly recommended visit for those wishing to learn more about the history of the bloody battle fought here almost 100 years ago. From Antalya resort and all along the holiday coast you’ll find excursions that take visitors to the scenes of the 1915 battle and allow them to pay their respects to the fallen and get a glimpse of how difficult life would have been for the troops in 1915.

The trenches have long gone but the sacrifices made by the young men in battle make this a hugely important places to visit for those whose ancestors fought and paid the ultimate price.

Photo:  By NA (Turkish General Staff)

The Other Madagascar Movie

The movie Madagascar – no, not the one with cartoon animal characters – is considered by many to be the finest work of the famous Cuban film director Fernando Perez. Despite running for a mere 50 minutes the movie tells the story of family upheavals, of dreams constantly shattered and of a mother watching her daughter growing up in a Cuba that both struggle to accept.

The central character in the story, a weary mother by the name of Laura, tries in vain to create a happy, ‘normal’ upbringing for her daughter Laurita in their humble Havana apartment. As the young girl grows up rapidly she passes through several phases of rebellion, from heavy metal to devout religion and a desire to invite groups of homeless children to live within the family home. It is her insistence on leaving school and running away to Madagascar that gives the movie its name and perhaps strongest image: that of the desire to escape to an island whose name represents an exotic almost mythical place at the other side of the world.

Shooting Blind

Yet perhaps the story of how the movie was made is as fascinating as the movie itself. Madagascar was produced in the early 1990s, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s major financial sponsor. Until its demise the USSR had supplied the Cuban film industry with the chemicals and materials they needed to stay in business. When this source dried up, Perez and other film makers were left stranded.

The option of shooting a scene and being able to review and edit it became impossible, meaning that all filming was done ‘blind’. Negatives were sent to Venezuela for processing and by the time they were returned, scenes could not be easily be recreated if required. Working to such harsh limitations it is a testament to the skill of Perez as a director that the movie that emerged was one that received such high acclaim.

Finding Laura

Travel to Cuba today and you might well recognise many of the images conjured up by Perez in his movie. The movie was shot entirely in and around the capital and many of the streets and buildings have changed little since 1994. Trying to Laura or her idealistic daughter might be a more difficult task. After all, it’s been 18 years since the movie’s release: perhaps they have finally made that journey to Madagascar!

Photo: Libby Norman via Wikimedia Commons

When you travel to Cuba, stay at one of the Iberostar hotels. You might well recognise many of the images conjured up by Perez in his movie.

You’re relaxing at your table in a restaurant on the splendid island of Crete. It’s evening and you can hear the sound of the waves on the nearby shore as you sip a glass of wine and nibble on a basket of fresh pitta bread. One thing remains to complete this perfect scene: the music.

Right on cue, the unmistakable chords introduce the sound of Zorba the Greek, surely the best loved melody in any Greek restaurant around the world. But who was Zorba and why has his legend survived for so long?

The story of Zorba the Greek

Zorba is without doubt one of the most famous characters in modern literature. Created by Nikos Kazantzakis is his famous novel Zorba the Greek, the passionate lover of life was immortalized by Anthony Quinn in the 1964 movie of the same name.

Quinn’s Zorba is a larger-than-life character who happens to meet British recluse Basil (played by Alan Bates), on his way to Crete to open a lignite mine that he has inherited. Zorba immediately takes a shine to Basil and their growing friendship and complete contrast in personalities set the tone for the movie. Uptight Basil is faced with love interest on Crete in the form of a young widow, yet it is Zorba who does all he can to push the shy man into her arms, only for horrible tragedy to ensue.

Releasing your inner Zorba

The enduring message from the movie is that of living life to the full and embracing every opportunity that comes our way. Zorba’s influence eventually loosens Basil’s intolerable stiffness and the climax of the movie sees Basil asking Zorba to teach him to dance on the beach.

Zorba the Greek is set on the island of Crete and even on a short Crete holiday it’s easy to sense the bubbling enthusiasm and happy-go-lucky nature that made Zorba such a modern-day Greek hero. Miles of lovely beaches and spectacular landscapes provide as much or as little adventure as you want.

Those with an interest in history will be spoiled for choice with the island’s rich 3500 year-old Minoan legacy that includes the incredible palace of Knossos.

Today there are many thousands of visitors who choose to take their holiday in Crete. It is, as Basil found out in the movie, the perfect place to loosen up and find your own inner Zorba!

Photo | GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0

Live life to the full and embrace every opportunity that comes your way. Why don’t you start at one of our Iberostar Hotels!

Of all classic stories none has been retold in more ways than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The premise of a nice girl meeting a boy raised on the wrong side of the tracks has been applied to almost every culture, whether or not the creators have given direct credit to Shakespeare (indeed, many would argue that Shakespeare himself re-adapted earlier love stories into his play).

One Love

That Jamaica has its own Romeo and Juliet film is no surprise. What is worth noting is the way that the story has been used to send two powerful messages to the international movie-going audiences. One Love, made in 2003 and influenced in no small part by the music of legend Bob Marley, tells the story of a Rasta musician Kassa and Serena, a Christian girl, who meet at a music contest in Kingston. They fall for each other, but Serena’s father is not impressed with his daughter’s suitor. As a fiery pastor he has plans for her to marry within the church and the relationship puts a sharp strain on their relationship. Kassa meanwhile is fighting his own battles with his scheming record boss.

Celebrating Jamaica

How does the story end? You’ll have to see it to find out, but a box of tissues is highly recommended. Perhaps what marks this movie out is its ability to make an international audience aware of the Christian and Rastafarian cultures in Jamaica, and the way it presents both groups in a sympathetic and intelligent manner.

Also playing a starring role in the movie is the Jamaican countryside. Filming took place mainly around Port Antonio and Stony Hill but with other parts of the island featuring too, the movie promoted a message that there is much more to Jamaica than just beautiful sandy beaches.

Jamaican Holiday

For those on vacation in Jamaica there are plenty of opportunities to explore the island’s rich culture and traditions. Tours to Kingston are available from the main Jamaican hotels and plenty of options are on offer for those interested in the enduring legacy of Bob Marley, including a visit to his home which is now a popular museum.

One Love did indeed use the Romeo and Juliet theme to share a little Jamaican culture with the watching world. Come to Jamaica and you’ll see just why this is something worth celebrating.

Photo| Alphakaya

Come to Jamaica and feel alright. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore the island’s rich culture and traditions, including a visit to Bob Marley’s home which is now a popular museum.  Visit the IberoStar Hotel in Jamaica

When Cloud Atlas hits the movie screens later in 2012 it is expected to be one of the most heavily publicized movies of 2012. It will need every bit of publicity it receives – with a budget estimated at anywhere between $150 million and $200 million major global box office success is required just to break even.

It’s complicated

The movie is an adaptation of the 2004 book by British author David Mitchell, telling six stories across six different periods from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future. The plot in the book moves forward through time until the middle of the book and then regresses in the second half of the story, tying up some but not all loose ends before ending right where it started, in the Pacific Ocean in 1850.

Many have questioned just how just a complex plot can be turned into a movie, with some predicting a masterpiece and others a complete disaster. That the film is directed by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix) would suggest that whatever else the movie might be, it will certainly provide a visual feast.

The cast list reads like a modern-day who’s who of the movie world: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon and Hugo Weaving all star in a production that has the actors switching roles, eras and even genders as the plot unravels.

Majorca awaits its magic moment

The island of Majorca was chosen as one of the main locations for the movie. With its sandy beaches, rocky coves and spectacular cliffs the landscape was considered perfect to double up as both Hawaii and the South Pacific.

Local officials and hotel owners in Majorca are expecting the movie to signal a tourism bonanza for the island in the same way that Lord of the Rings put New Zealand firmly on the international circuit. The locals gave the cast and crew a warm welcome and are now waiting impatiently for the film’s release and the boom in Majorca holidays that they hope will follow.

Halle Berry and the runaway goat

Perhaps one star who left Majorca with less than fond memories is Halle Berry. She had to be taken off the set and flown to a French hospital after she broke her foot while chasing a goat during a break in filming.  Proof that even the most graceful folks can do silly things when no-one is looking!

Photo | Max Sorglos

Majorca awaits its magic moment. Will you be part of it? Spend your next holiday with Iberostar in Majorca. Click here for more information.