What Is Strawberry and Chocolate About?
The premise of Strawberry and Chocolate in 294 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the summer of 1979, Havana swelters under the watchful eye of a revolutionary government that tightens its grip on every public square and private conversation. The city’s cracked façades and lively cafés pulse with a mixture of optimism and suspicion, creating a backdrop where humor flickers in the shadows of censorship and social change. The film captures this paradox with a light‑hearted yet razor‑sharp tone, letting the audience feel both the warmth of the streets and the chill of political scrutiny.
Into this world steps David, a fervent Marxist student whose ideals are as untested as the love he pursues. He navigates the university’s ideological halls while wrestling with personal longing, finding his convictions tested by the everyday compromises demanded by the regime. His intellectual rigor is matched by a restless curiosity, making him an unlikely observer of the contradictions that surround him.
A chance encounter introduces Diego, a reclusive gay Catholic writer living in a decaying house that mirrors his own sense of marginalization. An artist of words and images, he challenges the official narrative on sexuality and creative freedom, embodying a quiet defiance that both intrigues and unsettles those around him. His life, steeped in personal loss and clandestine expression, offers a stark contrast to the dogmatic certainty of David’s political schooling.
What blossoms is an unexpected friendship that forces both men to confront the boundaries of belief, identity, and tolerance. Their conversations weave together debates on communism, religion, and sexuality, laced with witty banter that softens the film’s sharper social commentary. As Havana continues its dance between revolution and routine, the pair move through a landscape where personal truth and public doctrine constantly collide, leaving the audience eager to see how each will reconcile the other’s world with their own.
What Happens in Strawberry and Chocolate?
The complete story of Strawberry and Chocolate, from the first scene to the last, in 447 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In Havana, Cuba, in 1979, David is a university student navigating a city under close scrutiny, where personal longing collides with political pressure. After Vivian rejects him and marries an older, wealthier man, he begins to see how love and loyalty can be entangled with power and ideology.
He soon crosses paths with Diego, a gay artist who challenges the regime’s stance on homosexuality and the censorship that stifles creative expression. David’s heterosexual classmate, Miguel, views Diego as a threat to the Communist project and schemes to use David to spy on him.
Diego initiates a friendship with David, though his advances carry sexual undertones that David mostly resists. Despite this, David agrees to go along with Miguel’s plan to pass information back, insisting that their relationship remains ultimately platonic while the two men grow closer.
A dramatic turn arrives when Nancy, a neighbor who keeps an eye on Diego’s world, attempts suicide. David arrives at the scene and donates blood to help her recover, an act that deepens their connection and sets in motion a tangle of loyalties and secrets.
As David spends more time with Diego, he engages in heated debates about Communism, sexuality, and what constitutes true revolution. He keeps reporting their activities to Miguel, arguing that Diego does hold firm principles even if his sexuality complicates the official narrative.
Vivian tries to rekindle their past by seeking an affair, but David rejects the proposal. Meanwhile, his feelings for Diego begin to soften in tangible ways: he buys flowers for Diego, adorns Diego’s room with Marxist icons, and allows Diego to read a manuscript he has written.
A parallel thread follows Diego and German, his artist protégé and partner, who struggle to exhibit their work. The dispute leads to a falling out, and Diego sends an angry letter to the museum curators, resulting in his firing and a government blacklist that makes external work nearly impossible. Diego shares these frustrations with Nancy, who has developed romantic feelings for David. To try to balance tensions, he arranges for Nancy and David to connect, and David experiences a transformative moment when he loses his virginity to Nancy.
Tensions come to a head when Miguel arrives at Diego’s apartment and accuses David of being homosexual, forcing the trio to confront the truth behind appearances and rumors.
Ultimately, Diego decides to leave the country. He cannot keep his departure a secret, and he confesses his love for David, clarifying that the fear of rumors did not create their bond but rather strained it under a difficult political climate. David greets the confession with a first, unguarded embrace, and the ending leaves their future relationship deliberately open to interpretation.
Strawberry and Chocolate Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Vivian rejects David and he begins university life in Havana” to “Ambiguous ending: a hug and uncertain future”. 15 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Vivian rejects David and he begins university life in Havana
In Havana, 1979, David is rejected by Vivian, who soon marries an older, wealthier man. His personal setback coincides with his first steps as a university student, exposing him to a city under political strain. The heartbreak propels him toward new, more burdensome concerns about love and ideology.
When:early 1979 Where:Havana, Cuba
- 2
David meets Diego, a gay artist unhappy with the regime
David meets Diego, a gay artist who challenges Castro's censorship and the state's stance on sexuality. Diego's charisma and radical views ignite a tension between art, politics, and desire. Their first interaction foreshadows a complicated alliance.
When:early 1979 Where:Diego's Havana studio
- 3
Miguel hires David to spy on Diego
Miguel, a heterosexual classmate, plans to use David to spy on Diego. David agrees to relay information to Miguel, presenting a platonic rationale while feeding him details. The arrangement soon strains David's friendships and complicates his feelings toward Diego.
When:early 1979 Where:University circle, Havana
- 4
Diego initiates a friendship with sexual undertones
Diego reaches out to David with romantic and sexual hints, testing the boundaries between them. David mostly rejects advances but keeps the growing connection in play. The fragile bond becomes the axis of the story's moral tension.
When:early 1979 Where:Diego's studio
- 5
David commits to spying but keeps a platonic frame
David commits to the spying plan to relay information back to Miguel. He frames their relationship as strictly platonic while deepening his involvement with Diego. The dual loyalty pulls him between personal desire and political loyalty.
When:mid 1979 Where:Diego's apartment, Havana
- 6
Nancy's suicide attempt and David's blood donation
Nancy, a vigilance who lives above Diego, attempts suicide. David arrives and donates blood to help her recover, a gesture that shows his capacity for compassion beyond political games. The moment heightens the emotional stakes for David and Diego.
When:mid 1979 Where:Diego's building, Havana
- 7
David and Diego argue about communism, sexuality, and revolution
As David spends more time with Diego, they argue about communism, sexuality, and what constitutes true revolution. Their debates reveal deep personal and political rifts within both characters. The conversations push their relationship toward a more intimate, but still unsettled, phase.
When:mid to late 1979 Where:Diego's apartment
- 8
David erupts to Miguel: Diego has principles
David reports their activities to Miguel and finally erupts, insisting that Diego has principles despite his sexuality. He refuses to reduce Diego to a stereotype, signaling a shift in his loyalties. This moment deepens Miguel's suspicion and complicates the spy plot.
When:late 1979 Where:Miguel's office
- 9
Vivian reconnects and David rejects her
Vivian tries to reconnect with David and begin an affair, hoping to reclaim their past. David rebuffs her advances, choosing to distance himself from Vivian's world. The rejection marks a move toward a more authentic, if precarious, relationship with Diego.
When:late 1979 Where:David's apartment
- 10
David's growing affection: flowers, icons, manuscript
David begins to show genuine affection for Diego, buying him flowers and posting Marxist icons in Diego's room. He also lets Diego read his manuscript, sharing his inner thoughts and political beliefs. The line between friend and lover becomes increasingly blurred.
When:late 1979 Where:Diego's apartment
Show the other 5 events of Strawberry and Chocolate Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Diego and German's art career is stifled; blacklisted
Diego and German can’t exhibit their full collection, facing bureaucratic pushback from the museum. Diego fires off an angry letter to museum curators and loses his job, becoming effectively blacklisted. He is relegated to manual labor, cutting him off from the official art world.
When:late 1979 Where:Museum and Diego's Havana life
- 12
Nancy and David: romance and David's first time
Diego sets Nancy and David up, and David loses his virginity to Nancy as their feelings deepen. Nancy's romantic interest in David grows alongside his connection with Diego. The situation tightens the web of relationships around David.
When:late 1979 Where:Nancy's apartment
- 13
Miguel confronts David about homosexuality at Diego's apartment
Miguel arrives at Diego's apartment, accusing David of being homosexual and pressuring him to conform. The confrontation underscores the political stakes of personal identity in a repressive climate. David's loyalties are put to the test as the spy plot frays.
When:late 1979 Where:Diego's apartment
- 14
Diego leaves Cuba; confesses love and explains the rumor
Diego decides to leave the country but cannot keep his departure secret from David. He confesses his love for David and explains that it was not the rumors that led to David's public outing. Their moment clarifies their feelings, even as circumstances pull them apart.
When:late 1979 Where:Havana
- 15
Ambiguous ending: a hug and uncertain future
David embraces Diego after the confession, but their future remains unresolved within Cuba's political climate. The film ends on a note of hope tempered by uncertainty, suggesting that personal love faces broader social gatekeeping. The final image lingers on the possibility of what comes next.
When:late 1979 Where:Havana
Who Are the Main Characters in Strawberry and Chocolate?
7 characters, among them Diego (Jorge Perugorría), David (Vladimir Cruz) and Miguel (Francisco Gattorno): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- D(
Diego (Jorge Perugorría)
Played by Jorge Perugorría
A gay Cuban artist in Havana who challenges the Castro regime’s stance on homosexuality and the censored cultural landscape. He pursues principled beliefs, and his friendship with David grows into something deeper as his ideals clash with political constraints.
- 🎨 Art
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ
- 🚫 Censorship
- D(
David (Vladimir Cruz)
Played by Vladimir Cruz
A university student who initially agrees to spy on Diego for Miguel, while masking his true feelings. He wrestles with loyalty, desire, and truth, gradually embracing Diego’s principles and separating from the friend’s political agenda.
- 🎓 Student
- 🧭 Identity
- 🚫 Repression
- M(
Miguel (Francisco Gattorno)
Played by Francisco Gattorno
David’s heterosexual classmate who uses him to monitor Diego. He embodies the hard line of communal loyalty and political calculation, contrasting with David’s evolving compassion and Diego’s integrity.
- 🗝️ Betrayal
- 🧭 Politics
- 💡 Loyalty
- N(
Nancy (Mirta Ibarra)
Played by Mirta Ibarra
A resident who lives above Diego and becomes entangled in love and deception. She befriends David, later partakes in a plan to pair David with her, and ultimately shares in David’s first sexual experience.
- 💖 Romance
- 🛡️ Vigilance
- 🩺 Care
- G(
German (Joel Angelino)
Played by Joel Angelino
Diego’s artist protégé and romantic partner, whose relationship with Diego becomes strained after professional friction. Their dynamic illustrates the personal toll of political and social constraints on artistic collaboration.
- 🎨 Art
- 🧭 Loyalty
- 🕊️ Freedom
- V(
Vivian (Marilyn Solaya)
Played by Marilyn Solaya
David’s former lover who reappears seeking to rekindle a relationship, offering a glimpse into bourgeois desire and the complexities of pursuing love within a repressive society.
- 💍 Romance
- 💼 Bourgeoisie
- 🚫 Repression
- G(
Groom (Antonio Carmona)
Played by Antonio Carmona
The older, wealthier husband figure connected to Vivian, representing the class layer within the social fabric of 1979 Havana and the compromises demanded by the regime.
- 👔 Wealth
- 🏛️ Class
- 🗃️ Politics
Where and When Is Strawberry and Chocolate Set?
Strawberry and Chocolate is set in Havana and Cuba (1979). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1979
The story unfolds in 1979 Havana, during a period when Cuba was consolidating post-revolutionary authority. The regime’s censorship and social expectations frame how art, love, and dissent are navigated. The era is marked by pressure to conform, with characters attempting to live truthfully within a rigid political system.
Where
Havana, Cuba
Havana in 1979 is portrayed as a bustling urban center under tight political control, where surveillance and ideology shape daily life. The colonial streets and dense neighborhoods provide a backdrop for conflicts between personal desire and collective duty. The setting underscores the tension between revolutionary ideals and individual freedoms, especially around sexuality and expression.
- 🏙️ City
- 🇨🇺 Cuba
- 🧭 1979
What Are the Themes of Strawberry and Chocolate?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Identity, Repression and Love.
-
01
Identity
The film centers on self-discovery under pressure: a university student and a gay artist confront how sexuality and loyalty intersect with political ideology. David’s evolving feelings for Diego challenge the rigid expectations of his circle and the state. Diego embodies a personal truth that clashes with the regime’s censorship, highlighting the cost of authenticity.
-
02
Repression
Censorship and political control are constant undercurrents. Diego’s art is blacklisted and his opportunities vanish as the state disciplines dissent. The museum confrontation and the social blacklist underscore how the revolutionary project can suppress individuality and artistic expression.
-
03
Love
Love crosses political lines as David and Diego form a complicated bond amid suspicion and surveillance. The evolving attraction tests friendship, loyalty, and the fear of exposure. The film ends with an intimate moment that leaves the future of their relationship unresolved.
-
04
Art Censorship
The narrative juxtaposes artistic ambition with political constraint. Diego’s creative work becomes a battleground where freedom of expression clashes with state control. The tensions around art reveal how cultural production can become a site of political struggle and personal risk.
What Kind of Film Is Strawberry and Chocolate?
Bittersweet in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bittersweet
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A thoughtful and emotionally resonant drama that explores a burgeoning friendship between ideological opposites in 1970s Havana, blending sharp political commentary with moments of humor, tenderness, and inevitable melancholy.
- thought-provoking
- intimate
- melancholic
- hopeful
- tense
- passionate
- unlikely friendship
- political ideology
- homophobia
- censorship
Content notes: suicide attempt, political oppression.
Quiz
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