Within the framework of the 9th Summer Film Festival, promoted by the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), Havana’s Charles Chaplin cinema hosted an emotional meeting this Friday with the renowned actress Mirtha Ibarra, who shared her experiences during the filming of the iconic film «The Last Supper» (1976), recently restored.
The space, hosted by journalist Arisney Montero, facilitated a heartfelt exchange with the 2025 National Film Award winner about her debut in this emblematic work.
Directed by the distinguished Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (1928–1996), the film was recognised as the year’s most outstanding at the 1977 London Film Festival, cementing its significance in Cuba’s cinematic heritage.
Referring to the film, Ibarra described it as a pinnacle piece of Latin American cinematography; she highlighted both its exquisite artistic handling and profound understanding of historical reality.
«For me, it was a great experience to participate; my character was very small, but it represented my first step onto the big screen,» she expressed.
The actress also praised the film’s outstanding cinematography and its impeccable structural composition; she further emphasised its deep social significance in «individualising the slave,» exposing their behaviours, their way of thinking, and their unbreakable roots in African culture.
She also revealed that the film—inspired by real events in the 18th century—documented in a fragment of «El ingenio» by historian Manuel Moreno Fraginals, recounts the tragic decapitation of twelve slaves.
However, Gutiérrez Alea, popularly known as Titón, conceived an alternative ending: one slave manages to escape, a decision interpreted by the director as a powerful display of constant struggle, symbolising the *cimarrón*’s unyielding quest for freedom, stated the also playwright.
The film’s plot unfolds during Maundy Thursday at a Cuban sugar mill; a wealthy Havana count of deep religious faith gathers twelve of his slaves to wash and kiss their feet, subsequently inviting them to supper.
During the evening, the count converses with them, attempting to justify the exploitation to which he subjects them through principles of humility and resignation to the Catholic religion.
The slaves, inspired by the count’s apparent sincerity, decide not to work the following day as a legitimate act of defiance; however, the aristocrat, concerned with maintaining his control and authority, responds with brutal repression, triggering tragic consequences for those who participated in said supper.
The Charles Chaplin cinema exchange not only acknowledged Mirtha Ibarra’s career, but also underscored the importance of the feature film, enhanced in image and sound quality.
Such spaces reflect ICAIC’s commitment to preserving audiovisual heritage and fostering intergenerational connections with the masterpieces underpinning Cuba’s cinematic identity.
