Cinema Restored: María Antonia

María Antonia defies her godmother's Orisha faith in pursuit of Kid Julían, a rising boxer. As Julían rejects her for other women, María Antonia's obsession drives her toward a dangerous downward spiral.

María Antonia was the last film that the acclaimed Afro-Cuban director Sergio Giral would make before leaving his native country for the United States. Adapted from a Cuban play inspired by Georges Bizet’s Carmen, it is both a searing tragic melodrama and a subversive critique of racism and sexism within Cuban society.

This restoration of María Antonia was completed in Miami in 2025 from an original screening print of the film. The restoration was done in association with Sergio Giral’s partner Armando Dorrego, the film’s writer and producer.