Landi and Mercedes are a married couple remaining in the marshlands of Zapata, the toughest area in Cuba. In the midst of a pandemic, shortages and social unrest, they must go to extreme lengths to provide for their son.
To the West, in Zapata
a film by
“A touching tale that brims with humanity”
“A touching tale that brims with humanity”
David Bim
Biography
David begins his studies at the Catalonia Film School (ESCAC). In 2015, he wrote and co-directed “THE LAST TWO,” a short film based on the true story of an elderly couple, the last inhabitants of a ghost village in rural Spain, isolated in the mountains. That same year, he was selected to study at the International Film School of Cuba (EICTV).
Since 2017, he has been creating audiovisual and cultural content for Taller Chullima, a nonprofit cultural space in Havana, where international artists offer workshops and masterclasses. In 2019, he participated in the Havana Biennial with the visual piece “INFINITE JOURNEY,” exploring Wilfredo Prieto’s macro-sculpture in Cuba’s rural landscape.
Since 2021, he has balanced his artistic career with teaching. His film workshop “CONSTRUCTING A NEW FICTION” won the EUNIC Cluster Fund Cuba 2023, the network of National Cultural Institutes of the European Union, for its pedagogical and cultural values in the country. In 2023, he took the Chair of Advanced Studies in Fiction at the Cuban Film School (EICTV), and founded and directs FICCLAB, an international program for the development of first feature films, through workshops, masterclasses, and mentoring with international filmmakers, script-doctors and producers.
As a director, he spent eight years developing and filming his debut feature, “TO THE WEST, IN ZAPATA.” The film won the Coup de Coeur Orlando Award for Best Work-In-Progress, granted by ParisDOC at the 45th edition of Cinéma du Réel, and will have its world premiere in the Official Selection of Visions du Réel 2025.
Filmography
● To the West, in Zapata (feature documentary, 2025)
● Infinite Journey / Viaje Infinito (video art for the Havana Biennial, 2019)
● A Tree Falls / Un Árbol Cae (student short fiction, 2017)
● Perhaps Tomorrow / Quizá Mañana (student short fiction, 2016)
● The Last Two (short documentary, 2015)
