Norheimsund is a deeply personal story that explores the harsh reality of Cuban women who are sexualized by foreigners from a young age. Amidst the ongoing economic crisis in the Island, many women are drawn into these relationships with older men as their only means to provide for their families.
The short film tells the story of Yaimita, an 18-year-old Cuban girl who fulfills her mother’s cherished dream of a better future by starting an online romance with Sven, a Norwegian man twice her age who plans to visit Cuba soon and wants to find a Cuban girlfriend.
Yaimita and her mother, Yaima, live together in very precarious conditions in a small, decaying apartment in Havana, sharing a cramped bed and a single fan to alleviate the exhausting temperatures of the Caribbean summer. The relentless heat and lack of resources make life difficult, yet the strong bond between the women, their resilience, and humor mask their constant desperation.
Yaimita is everything to her mother. Yaima has spent her life struggling to raise a “good girl” as a single mother and is now determined to forge a future for Yaimita that she herself never had. That is why, when a neighbor introduces them to Sven via WhatsApp, Yaima encourages Yaimita to pursue a relationship with this almost unknown man, even helping her daughter send nude pictures. Yaima makes sure her daughter believes this is not just a way to escape their reality, but a chance at true love. Together, they dream of a transformed life—one where Sven, like a modern Prince Charming, whisks Yaimita from the scarcity of Cuba to Norheimsund, a town straight out of a Disney fairytale.
However, the fantasy unravels when Yaimita discovers that Sven is also chatting with another Cuban girl, treating her merely as an option among many, as if he were choosing between items in a souvenir store. Worse, she learns that her mother knew all along but kept it from her, desperate to not let the opportunity slip away. Now, Yaimita must decide: should she confront Sven and end the relationship, or continue it for the dream of a better life for herself and her mother?
The Context
Today, Cuba is experiencing one of the most severe economic and social crises in its history. The widespread lack of hope for the future of the Island is reflected in the millions of Cubans, like me, who have been forced to leave in recent years.
Although exact numbers are hard to confirm due to the lack of official reports, some studies suggest that 18% of the population has emigrated in just the past three years. Those left behind struggle to make ends meet, facing a disparity between prices and wages that defies any logic.
We are talking about a country where the official minimum salary is $2,100 CUP (less than 10 USD), and a dozen eggs can cost over $1,500 CUP. It’s also where a professional doctor, whose salary is less than $50 USD, often has to find an alternative way to feed their family, like becoming a chauffeur or working as a security guard in an Airbnb for tourists.
In this environment, someone like Sven—arriving with Euros and a strong passport—represents, more than ever, a doorway of possibilities for women like Yaimita and Yaima.
Why this story
My childhood was filled with stories of sixty-year-old foreigners who essentially "bought" beautiful girlfriends with the promise of a better life. Ironically, what sticks with me is how these stories sounded almost like fairy tales to innocent little Ana.
I believe these narratives have profoundly shaped who I am today, especially the kind of stories I want to tell. They opened a window to a world where no one is entirely guilty or innocent, and where harsh realities can, in their own way, redeem the irredeemable. In every project, I try to capture that bittersweet tone that’s deeply ingrained in me—a kind of story that makes us laugh and dream, yet leaves a lingering sense of unease.
Norheimsund was born from a need to tell an intimate, layered story about the bond between a mother and daughter, both trapped in a cycle of mutual sacrifice. Each woman carries the weight of the other’s expectations and broken dreams, creating a complex dynamic where personal sacrifice becomes the currency of their relationship.
This is a story about the hope that keeps us alive, driving us to make the biggest compromises. That’s why I titled it after a city so completely removed from ours. If there’s one thing that defines Havana, it’s the shared feeling of wanting to be anywhere but here.
Artistic Approach
Norheimsund is a film I want to mirror Havana in all its raw and vivid reality. The camera will act as a silent witness to the city’s vibrancy: the sounds, textures, and sharp contrasts painted by the scorching sun. Decay will be our most powerful aesthetic tool—nothing speaks more to the Cuban experience than the crumbling beauty of our city.
While Norheimsund may sound heavy, I promise it won’t be. Nothing makes Havana more special than its people and their inexhaustible humor. That’s why, even with its serious themes, the film will carry a spirit where joy becomes the ultimate form of resilience. To capture the city’s essence and preserve authenticity, we plan to blend professional actors with non-actors, allowing the film to feel as real as life itself.
