Documentary "Habitante" Debuts, Featuring a Viral Message from a Havana Fisherman

The heartfelt words of a humble fisherman from Havana, Julián, have become a viral sensation on Instagram, thanks to a video posted by Colombian filmmaker José Alejandro González.

On the account @habitantefilm, the short clip has garnered over a million views and attracted 811 comments within a few days. The footage was captured by González during his trip to Havana and later integrated into Habitante, his third feature-length documentary, premiering this Wednesday, July 23, at the Cinemateca de Bogotá.

Seated by the sea, the elderly Cuban begins the video with an introduction that speaks volumes. "I'm Julián, I live in Havana, I've been fishing for 67 years. I don't feel any pain, I'm in great shape, I work 10 to 12 hours every day, and I have a million friends with another million yet to meet."

A Life Forged by the Sea

Julián Andrés, named in honor of Saint Julian and his maternal grandfather, learned to survive from the tender age of eight, driven by necessity like countless other Cubans.

"I'm ready to live under extreme conditions," he remarks. "Without a knife or anything, I can build a house in the woods. I never lack food or water. I know how to extract what I need from nature to survive."

Philosophy on Wealth and Happiness

His reflections on money and happiness, amidst Cuba's severe economic and political turmoil, have resonated deeply with those who viewed the clip.

"Money isn't the ultimate happiness. It's important, but not everything. Some have money and aren't happy, while others have nothing and are content," Julián explains.

He concludes with a belief shaped by decades at sea: "Instead of money, I've sought to have millions of friends. With millions of friends, I can always find money—not much, but just what I need."

As the video ends, Julián casts his line into the water, delivering the phrase that sparked the most commentary: "All I need is a good love, nothing more, and that's enough for me."

Literary Comparisons and Audience Reactions

Viewers drew literary parallels, calling him "the true protagonist of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea." One commented, "I want to be part of Julián's other million friends."

He was described as "the graphic depiction of true happiness," with others quoting Hemingway: "Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is."

The Documentary's Broader Context

Habitante concludes a trilogy on the human condition that González began with Lázaro (2019), exploring his father's Alzheimer's, and continued with Álvaro (2022), which earned him the Luis Ospina Award for Best Director at the Cali International Film Festival.

This new film compiles over two decades of recordings from eight countries—Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, France, Spain, India, and China—organized into four narrative blocks featuring nearly 25 stories. Notably, the Cuban fisherman's testimony has captured significant attention online.

The Wednesday premiere at the Cinemateca de Bogotá will also feature a photography exhibition titled Propiedades curativas del retrato at the venue's Museo de la Calle.

Julián, who has spent a lifetime drawing his sustenance from nature, exemplifies the enduring spirit of many Cubans for whom the sea represents both livelihood and refuge amidst a reality that seldom rewards them justly.