El enemigo

Brazilian director Aldemar Matias lives in Barcelona, but his field of work up till now has been the Amazon and above all Cuba, where he made the short documentary El enemigo at the EICTV (International Film and Television School) in 2014.

The enemy in the title is Aedus aegypti, the mosquito that carries dengue fever, a disease that is a major health problem in the old, dilapidated neighborhoods of Havana.

The film follows Mayelín and her colleagues in a pest control team. Her boss is demanding, suspicious and ruthless when there appear to be omissions in the administration of the endless rounds of checks. Mayelín in turn has to monitor colleagues and issue fines to poor residents who have trouble complying with the strict hygiene regulations.