Dame la mano

The secret recipe of the Cuban cook Rafaela in New York is chicken with coke. From his mobile shop, her son sells her dishes to factory workers. He dreams of owning a restaurant with a dance floor that is larger than that of `La Esquina Habanera'. Every Sunday night, in this restaurant in New Jersey, the rumba is danced, the most sensual Cuban dance. Heddy Honigmann filmed the dance, the restaurant and its patrons, including the voluptuous Rafaela, the handsome Pedro who once earned a living as a gigolo, and the agile dancing teacher who has recovered from cancer. Honigmann portrays them in her characteristic intimate style and affectionately sketches how these exiles manage to survive in the overblown world of the US - drawing from their everlasting love for rhythm, for life, and especially for the rousing rumba.