Day of the Flowers is an exciting and engaging film about two sisters taking their father's ashes to Cuba. At first it would appear that the sisters are complete polar opposites, Rosa the politico and Alli the fashionista, as the story unfolds we see that underneath the sisters are more alike than they realise. The story unfolds in Cuba which provides a stunning backdrop. "Day of the Flowers" allows us to glimpse the darker side of Cuba as well as the touristic, I found this very refreshing. The characters are well thought out and developed and beautifully acted, especially Rosa - Eva Birthiste, Alli - Charity Wakefield and Thomas-Carlos Acosta. We get to see human nature in all it's complexities. The mix of the exotic and neurotic makes "Day of the Flowers" a feel good movie, I left the cinema wanting more and with a curiosity to find out what the next chapter holds for the sisters and Thomas. I would highly recommend this film to everyone, go see it and enjoy the visual feast.

I saw it at the Edinburgh Film festival and love it. Two quarrelling sisters become reluctant travel partners when they set off from Scotland to Cuba. Their journey throws up more than a few surprises and laughs along the way. Their quest to discover more about their father's communist past leads to a voyage of self discovery. The humour is balanced with an intelligent portrayal of how each sister struggles, in different ways, with the cultural stereotypes and socio- political tensions that arise. The writer, Eirenie Houston, offers a balanced assessment of the complexities associated with tourism in Cuba, avoiding sentimentality or judgement. Set in the ambiance of Havana, with stunning cinematography and beautiful dance scenes, not least from the Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, this film will have you heading down to the travel agents.

I was really looking forward to seeing this film as it's about sisters and as a sister myself, this is a subject I understand and love. I was not disappointed. Day of the Flowers brilliantly conveys the competitive, irritating, sometimes nasty but ultimately loving relationship between sisters. Eva Birthistle, as the complicated Rosa, sets off from Glasgow on a crazy mission to Cuba with an illicit bag containing her father's ashes, accompanied (to her dismay) by her sister Ailie (beautifully played by Charity Wakefield) and kilt-wearing friend Conway (Bryan Dick). Of course when they arrive things don't exactly turn out as expected and their encounter with a Cuban conman (the excellent Christopher Simpson) leads Rosa into potential danger. Quietly observing the action is tour guide Tomas (Carlos Acosta) and he is soon embroiled in the sisters' adventure, being especially protective towards headstrong Rosa. Most of the film is set in Cuba and the vibrancy and excitement of this lovely island, full of colour, music, dancing and amazing scenery is almost enough in itself. The Cuban cast is excellent and Carlos Acosta proves himself as an accomplished actor. I would have liked to have seen him dance a bit more but had to be satisfied with a tantalizing glimpse of him gently teaching a young dancer in his ballet class…. Sigh!! All in all, a very entertaining and heart-warming film that looks great. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and so did the rest of the audience.

Day of the Flowers is a an enjoyable picture despite having a strictly formula script. The first formula is two opposite personalities thrown together by necessity (e.g. 48 Hours, In Her Shoes, etc). Here we have two Scottish sisters, Rosa a committed socialist and Ailie her designer cloths wearing spoiled sister, reunited for funeral of their father. Problem is that their stepmother wants to make a golf trophy out of their father's ashes while Rosa wants to take them to Cuba, where their father spent some time during the revolution and scatter them in Havana. Once the sisters take the ashes to Cuba we enter the Fish-Out-Of-Water phase of the formula with every cliché ridden situation thrown in. However, the performances are generally appealing and the direction is brisk. Throw in the nice Havana background and Cuban music and you have an entertaining film which does not strive to be anything higher than that.