From 'I Am Cuba' to 'Guantanamera': the filmography of Jorge Losada

Jorge Losada Moreno, regarded as one of the most versatile actors in Cuban culture, passed away today in Havana at the age of 92, leaving behind a career of over six decades that encompassed film, theater, television, and radio.

Born on December 4, 1933, Losada began his career as a declaimer at Radio Mambí during the 1950s, before joining the Rita Montaner Theater Group, under the direction of Cuqui Ponce de León, where he laid the foundations of his theatrical craft.

His debut in Cuban cinema came with Soy Cuba (1964), the iconic Soviet-Cuban co-production directed by Mijaíl Kalatozov, with a script by Enrique Pineda Barnet and the Soviet poet Yevgueni Yevtushenko, a film that was initially rejected both in the USSR and in Cuba and rediscovered decades later thanks to filmmakers like Martin Scorsese.

Throughout his career, he participated in more than 20 film productions and starred in over 60 theatrical works, collaborating with directors of the caliber of Sergio Giral, Manuel Octavio Gómez, Ruy Guerra, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, and Juan Carlos Tabío.

During the 1980s, he established himself as a figure of humor and popular comedy in the Teatro Musical de La Habana, with works such as Maestra Vida. His talent was recognized with the Best Theater Actor Award from UNEAC, among other accolades that marked his extensive career.

In cinema, one of his most memorable roles was in the last film by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Guantanamera (1995), where he once again showcased his ability to transition naturally between drama and comedy. In his later years, when referring to his television projects, Losada himself humorously and insightfully confessed: "Perhaps this will be my last appearance".

Colleagues and friends deeply mourned his passing. Among the farewell words that circulated in the Cuban cultural world, one phrase captured the collective sentiment: the friend, the older brother has departed.

Main filmography of Jorge Losada, according to the Digital Encyclopedia of Cuban Audiovisuals:

1. I Am Cuba (1964), by Mijail Kalatozov
2. There is no Saturday without sun (1979), by Manuel Herrera
3. Maluala (1979), by Sergio Giral
4. Glass Roof (1982), by Sergio Giral
5. Patakín (1982), by Manuel Octavio Gómez
6. Plácido (1986), by Sergio Giral
7. Alice in Wonderland (1990), by Daniel Díaz Torres
8. I Rent Myself to Dream (1990), by Ruy Guerra
9. Smoke is Harmful (1993)
10. Tirano Banderas (1994), by José Luis García Sánchez
11. Shark in Havana (1994), by Alain Naltum
12. The Killjoy (1995), by Valeria Fabriana Amato
13. The Lizard's Tail (1995), by Bruno Gantillon
14. Guantanamera (1995), by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
15. Blue Índigo (1995), by Jean Sagols
16. Obstacle (1998), by Ruy Guerra
17. You Will Stay (1998), by Ariane Skupch
18. Pata Negra (2000), by Luis Oliveiros
19. Rosa la China (2001), by Valeria Sarmiento
20. The Horn of Abundance (2008), by Juan Carlos Tabío
21. Molina’s The Man Who Spoke with Mars (2009), by Jorge Molina
22. Cheek to Cheek (2011), by Delso Aquino