“Running Wild” (Desenfreno) tells the story of a generation that can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Javier Alonso is a young man from the countryside who goes to Havana to study journalism. There he is torn between his dreams and his fears and discovers that you need more than talent to succeed in life.

Running Wild is a dream which is gradually becoming reality. It started with the idea of turning a story written by Lázaro Gonzáles González into a movie. Professionals, mostly women, have joined in because they believe in the project and are determined to take it forward. Pre-production is in full swing, even though the team doesn’t have enough money to start filming.

There are many similarities between the character of Javier and the director and author of Running Wild “It’s a story that highlights all the problems of a generation facing so many uncertainties. What type of future do we have? These are existential concerns that arose in the ‘90s, when Cubans were going through a particularly difficult period.” Says Lázaro González As the main character puts it: “we were taught to scream in silence, to say that everything was good. Yet decades later we discovered that things were bad, that the established truths are shit, that not everyone can follow the same path.”

No screams or blood
“It’s not a movie with screams or blood”, says the director, who preferred “to build a drama based on uncertainty and fear”. Lázaro is only 22, and he still doesn’t know if he will make cinematography his career. What he wants is to tell the stories churning around in his head, stories that “deal with the concerns of the people of my age, stories that will help change the society I’m living in today”.

Economic blockade
An initial attempt was made to raise money for the film through crowd-funding. But, says Lázaro González, “we ran into the consequences of the economic embargo on the island. The first site that accepted us told us later that they couldn’t back us because the embargo prevented them from sending us money.” This obstacle hasn’t discouraged the team, who are convinced that they will be able to take to the big screen this cry for the sexual, ideological and emotional liberation of a generation who sometimes can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.