Premise

In the wake of her brother’s suicide, a young Mexican woman, Maribel (Seedne Bujaidar), books a one-way ticket to the 
place he'd always dreamt of going – Cuba.  Wandering the streets of Havana, Maribel attempts to escape her grief, but the 
city’s rhythms and strangers just serve to trigger tortured ruminations and memories of him.  It is only when she bonds 
with Eusebio (Yasmani Cancio) – a petty thief and skilled woodcraftsman – that Maribel begins to face her demons. As the 
two leave Havana to traverse Cuba, Maribel recognizes a growing attraction between them, and must decide whether to open 
herself up to love and loss once again.

Significance

In her feature film debut, writer/director Kelly Daniela Norris re-imagines her own experience of bereavement following the 
death of her brother through this filmic elegy.  By weaving together real memory and personal reflection with the sights and 
sounds of a country still taboo to many, SHADES OF BLUE explores how personal and national histories can intertwine – how 
both societies and individuals change, make sacrifices, recover from wounds, and carry on.