Hello Hemingway

Larita lives with her mother and her aunt's family in a ramshackle house on the edge of Havana. From their garden they can see Ernest Hemingway's white mansion, a constant reminder of the world beyond their poverty. She nurtures a growing dream of academic success and a future in the United States.

Her English skills stand out in class, and her teacher suggests she enter a scholarship competition to study in the United States. She is determined to make the most of any chance to improve her life.

On a visit to a bookshop, she is given a copy of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. She reads it avidly, drawing parallels between the novel and her own life, and begins recording these reflections in a diary.

Back at home, family members tease her for pursuing studies while they struggle to get by. They resent that she studies and contributes little to their meager existence, highlighting the harsh realities of poverty.

She is sent home from school for not wearing the correct uniform, underscoring the social obstacles she faces. Nevertheless, she passes the first round of scholarship exams and advances toward a final interview.

She is invited to a reception for scholarship finalists, marking a turning point in her bid for a US education. To present herself well, relatives help with sewing, and her grandmother even pawns treasured earrings to buy fabric.

Larita tells Victor that she has been shortlisted for the scholarship, a secret she kept to herself until now. His anger grows because the news confirms she may leave him for a year, and she steels herself for the distance ahead.

That night the family learns that Larita's uncle, their main breadwinner, has been fired from his job as a policeman. The loss intensifies the pressure on her to secure a scholarship and leave home for a safer future.

At the scholarship interview, her illegitimacy and lack of powerful letters threaten her chances. In desperation she goes to Hemingway to seek a reference, only to learn he is away in Africa.

When she plays sick, her favorite teacher Dr. Martinez visits and offers encouragement. She admits her poverty and marginal status, and the teacher reminds her that she is not living on the streets, urging perseverance.

Back at school, student protests intensify as the student association advocates a boycott of classes. The crackdown results in Victor's arrest, underscoring the volatile political climate surrounding the students.

Later that year she takes a job at a Havana coffee bar, continuing to show resilience despite hardship. One evening near Easter, a scholarship administrator walks by, recognizes her and offers a simple wish for her to enjoy the holiday.