Alicia En El Pueblo De Maravillas - Cuban Political Satire

Subject: Cuban political satire in Cinema

Alicia en el pueblo de Maravillas, directed by Daniel Díaz Torres, is a sharp example of political satire in Cuban cinema, set in a fictional town where a young theatre instructor uncovers an absurd system governed by surveillance, obedience, and bureaucratic language. Structured as a grotesque fable, the film parodies the mechanisms of socialist power in Cuba, revealing how ideology, fear, and double standards shape everyday life. Through humor, absurdity, and social critique, the film exposes the erosion of political discourse, turning laughter into an act of resistance and critical awareness.

Technical details

Director

Daniel Díaz Torres

Release year

1991

Running time

99 min

Country

Cuba

Cast

Thais Valdés
Reinaldo Miravalles
Alberto Pujol
Carlos Cruz
Raúl Pomares
Alina Rodríguez
Jorge Martínez
Enrique Molina
Enrique Molina

Producer

Productora Internacional ICAIC

Plot

Synopsis

Alicia en el pueblo de Maravillas (1990), directed by Daniel Díaz Torres, is a political satire set in a fictional town where a young theatre instructor uncovers an absurd system governed by surveillance, obedience, and bureaucratic language. Framed as a grotesque fable, the film parodies the structure of Cuban socialist power, showing how ideology, fear, and double standards intertwine in everyday life. Through humor, absurdity, and social critique, the film reveals the deterioration of a political discourse that has lost its meaning, turning laughter into an act of resistance and critical clarity.

Analysis

(content in Spanish)

Keywords

cine cubano, período especial