Director Jorge Perugorría has presented his new feature film Neurótica anónima (Anonymous Neurotic), which he has defined as a love letter to Cuban cinema with an ironic and profoundly human look at our fragilities. It is one of the ten Ibero-American productions competing in the Official Competition of the Festival de Málaga, along with 12 other Spanish films.
 
At a press conference, Perugorría said that this Cuban-Mexican co-production combines comedy, emotion and reflection on contemporary neuroses to form the backbone of this love story with cinema. "Specifically, it evokes that wonderful moment in Cuban cinema during the 60s, 80s and 90s, when Cuba became the most important cultural and cinematographic reference point in Central America," said the filmmaker.
 
Mirtha Ibarra stars in and co-writes the script alongside Perugorría, playing a woman who takes refuge in her passion for cinema to dream, escape and flee from the suffocating and harsh reality with her husband, an alcoholic man who wants to destroy her life. For Ibarra, his character conveys a revealing and universal message, which is "the need to be cultured to be free". As he said, "Being educated is key to realising what is happening to you, but above all to being aware that it is never too late to change your life".
 
For Ibarra, the dual role of actress and co-writer was a particularly stimulating creative challenge. "My work on the script allowed me to delve deeper into the characters and give them a very human dimension. They are imperfect, vulnerable characters, and that is precisely why they are so recognisable to the audience," he explained.
 
The screenwriters have made it clear that this project was born out of a desire to explore with honesty and humour the emotional contradictions that permeate today's world. "It is a film that talks about our fragilities, about the fears that accompany us and how we try to live with them, but we wanted to do it in a familiar and ironic tone, as humour is also a way of understanding ourselves".
 
The film offers a portrait of characters torn by emotional conflicts, insecurities and desires for personal transformation, in a plot that shifts between comedy and drama to reflect on identity, emotional relationships and the search for balance in an increasingly fast-paced world. For this reason, the story was constructed based on the observation of these small everyday neuroses that permeate the lives of many people. "We were interested in talking about what we feel when we are confronted with our own contradictions. The film has humour, but also a lot of emotional truth", said Ibarra.
 
Meanwhile, actor Joel Angelino added that the feature film portrays a very human Cuba through its scenography and characters, relying on many group scenes that highlight the ensemble nature of the film. He also highlighted the emotional intensity of the characters and the richness of the dialogues, which allow us to explore different perspectives on love, fear and the need for change. "The filming was very intense, with characters who are living through situations that are very close to what anyone can experience". Actors Roberto Perdomo, Osvaldo Doimeadiós, Andrea Doimeadiós, Carmen Ruiz, Daniel Triana, Yordi Morejón complete the rest of the cast.
 
With a tone that combines irony, sensitivity and a critical eye, Neurotica Anónima takes the spectator on a journey through the contradictions of modern life, addressing universal themes such as identity, personal relationships and the search for meaning in the midst of everyday uncertainties.
 
Iluminada, an elderly woman with an alcoholic husband, lives in a society plagued by disillusionment and under threat of a mental health pandemic. She faces the loss of her only sanctuary, the Cuba cinema where she has worked as an usher for 30 years, using the films to escape her harsh reality and her own neurosis. To save herself, she must relive the conflicts of his youth, with the help of Denis, the projectionist, and reconcile with her past in order to imagine a future.