Music, passion, hot Cuban and the winking of the bright lights of Hollywood. Sounds like a fine formula for screen success.

These are roughly the ingredients for Chico and Rita, a new animated film directed by Spanish trio Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando. The story follows the 60-year romance of Chico, a young piano player, and Rita, a gorgeous singer with talent to match her looks.

Their whirlwind journey starts in Cuba in 1948 where music and their romantic desires unite them but eventually also brings them heartache and torment. Their love and music talent takes from Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, but they are two individuals immersed in a constant battle to unite their love for each other and their music. 

With Latin jazz as the background music to their love story, the romanticism of Cuba is rather potent. The animation adds an originality and freshness to what could otherwise be seen as a rather conventional story of love and ambition.

Chico & Rita trailer, special feature film: onedotzero_adventures in motion festival 2010. from onedotzero on Vimeo.