The captain of a small vessel, regularly sailing between his home island of Margarita Island in the Caribbean and the Venezuelan mainland, has two separate and very different relationships. At home, he is happily married, having named his boat Isabel after his wife. Yet on his visits to the port of La Guaira, he has a passionate affair with Esperanza, a woman working in a seedy cabaret who tries to retain him with hexes and spells. A classic of Latin American cinema, which won Best Cinematography at 1951 Cannes Film Festival.
Cinematography
Cannes-winning shadows that make Venezuela look like a fever dream.
Acting
Arturo de Córdova's smoldering captain — toxic before it was trendy.
Direction
Christensen crafts atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a machete.
Director
Carlos Hugo Christensen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
One of the first Venezuelan films to gain international recognition, putting Latin American melodrama on the map before the continent's 'Golden Age' exploded.
The Cannes cinematography prize was shared with 'An American in Paris' — this small Caribbean drama held its own against Gene Kelly.
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