简介：KleinesTropikana(LittleTropicana)istheonlykindoffilmtheCubanFilmInstitute--acrucialinstitutioninthatThirdCinema--isabletomakeinitspost-ColdWarstraitenedeconomy,aninternationalco-production,inthisinstancewithGermanandSpanishinvestors.Itissomethinglikeascrewballmystery,directedbyDanielDiazTorres,bestknownforAliciainWondertown,afabulisticsatireofCubaneverydaylife,temporarilybannedin1990foritsanti-bureaucraticinvective. KleinesTropikanaisamadcapmysteryconstructedtobemuseandentertain.ACubancopwantstostimulatehislifeandcareerbysolvingthestrangedeathofaGermantourist,apparentlyhurledoffaroofdressedinangelwingsfromawildparty.Wasitmurder?suicide?adrunkenaccident?Thecopwon'ttakeanythingtooobviousforcertainandwegraduallybegintoenterhisnarrativeworldwherethemostfantasticanswersarethebest.ThetouristsupposedlyhadafatherwhopassedmemorablythroughHavanainthe40sandfosteredaculturalfixationinhisCuban-Germanprogeny.WasheaPopularFronthero,aNazispy?Whoreallywastheboy'smother?Whoarealltheseotherstrangeandstrangercharactersandwhataretheyafter?Oh,howthoseGermanspracticetheirCubandancesteps!AndwhatevilnuclearexperimentsarethosedwarfNazidoctorsplotting?Wegraduallyarelostinaparodicre-imaginingofthefilmwearewatching,withcountlessenhoesofotherfilms,akindofBorgesianMalteseFalcongoestoHavanabywayofCasablanca.Whatwearetobelieveofitallishardtosay. AsinmanyrecentCubanfilms,DiazTorrescombinesthefamiliarityofgenrewithinnovativetwistsandnarrationturningself-referentiallyarounditself.Weperhapsponderhowthecleverconcoctionwehavewatchedtakesusthroughnationalspecificity,notsomuchasambitionbutasresilientlyinsultingandhilariousculturalstereotypescumglobalcommodities;itistheTropicanaafterall,Cuba'smostinfamoussiteofsexualandfaux-culturaltourism,thatcentresthetale'sfantasticremembering.Wemightalsonoticethatthisfirst-thirdworldfablehasprovidedthenecessarytrans-contintentalnarrativefortheinvestmentdemandsofaninternationalco-productionwithmultiplenationalaudiencestoplease.ThefilmconcludeswiththequotidianconcernsoftheCubancop,imagininghiswork-a-dayreality,strivingforwaystoliveanauthenticlifeintheCubaneverydaythatDiazTorresfindssosimultaneouslymarvellousandmundane.…