El arte del tabaco is a genuine gem of Cuban documentary film: a symphony of hands moving during the different stages of this handmaking process to the exact tempo of Liceo del Pilar, danzón by Rodrigo Prats. The beautiful lithographs adorning the packaging of brands known all over the world are like the chords of a score; nothing else is necessary, just the experienced hands, grooved with wrinkles and age, making the miraculous final product. Gutiérrez Alea made only brief forays into the documentary genre, and with this film he paid tribute to cigar making.

Luciano Castillo