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CHICO AND RITA

By Fernando TRUEBA, Javier MARISCAL, Tono ERRANDO

REZO FILMS - as DISTR

Animation - Completed 2010

- Year of production
- 2010
- Genres
- Animation
- Countries
- SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM
- Languages
- SPANISH
- Duration
- 94 mn
- Director(s)
- Fernando TRUEBA, Javier MARISCAL, Tono ERRANDO
- Writer(s)
- Fernando TRUEBA, Ignacio MARTÍNIEZ DE PISÓN
- Cast
- Eman XOR ONA, Limara MENESES
- Producer(s)
- Christina HUETE, Santiago ERRANDO, Martin POPE, Michael ROSE
- Synopsis
- Havana, 1948. Good looking and with a reputation as the hottest pianist on the island, Chico is a natural match for Rita, a stunning club singer. Their connection is instant and electric; soon they’re a promising double act, performing and planning their lives together. Chico starts composing a song - his love song for her. But an American producer, Ron, sees Rita’s potential and offers to take her to New York and make her a star. Chico gets drunk with jealousy. At first Rita refuses to go without Chico, but changes her mind after seeing Chico in the arms of another woman. Chico and his best friend Ramon follow her to New York and discover she’s become a sensation on Broadway. Rita, still broken-hearted, refuses to see Chico. The years pass and Chico gets piano work any way he can to make ends meet. One day he plays piano at a party at which Rita is the guest of honour. He slowly begins to play her song and the effect is instantaneous. After a passionate night Chico wakes alone to find “I needed to kiss you again” scrawled in lipstick on the mirror. She is off to LA to become a movie star, and Ron deviously arranges for Chico to tour Europe with a famous jazz band. Re-united after their song becomes a hit, they decide to marry in Las Vegas at New Year. Again Ron intervenes, and Chico, an illegal immigrant, is suddenly shipped back home by the authorities. It’s 1959, foreign travel is banned after the Cuban revolution – and the lovers may be separated forever...