The Travel Agent

Havana, Cuba. 54th year of United States embargo against Cuba. From her tiny office overlooking the US Interests Section, 58-year old Lourdes counsels thousands of Cubans seeking a travel visa for the US. She coaches them on how to answer the trick questions, she fine tunes her customers’ stories, so they have better chances to succeed. They come from every walk of life. From all over Cuba to unveil their own life story at the “Oficina del amor”, as she had baptized it. Despite helping others to travel, she has never been able to visit her mother, son, 5 brothers, 2 grandsons and 23 nephews in Florida. “I quench the thirst of others every day, yet there’s not a drop of water for me”, she sadly states. Today, Lourdes is in love with a woman, Enit. Their lesbian friends are now like family. After a long wait, Lourdes time has finally come: her interview is set. Her dream to visit her dying mother, emigrated during the Sixties, was never so close. Will she able to travel and finally overturn her destiny of forced separation?