La Habanera

La Habanera is a 1937 German romantic melodrama feature film directed by Detlef Sierck (later known as Douglas Sirk). Zarah Leander, who was recently signed by UFA, stars, in the lead role of Astrée Sternhjelm and also performs its title song, "La Habanera". Like many of her films of this era, it proved an enormous box office success. Plot In 1927, Swedish tourists Astrée Sternhjelm and her elderly aunt Ana are nearing the end of a visit to Puerto Rico. Ana despises the island, which she considers backwards, but Astrée is enchanted by the Caribbean climate, the openness of the islanders, and the local habanera music. Astrée is especially taken with Don Pedro de Avila, a rich and powerful landowner they meet on their last day on the island. Don Pedro invites the women to a bullfight, where he heroically jumps into the ring after the matador is injured, and kills the bull himself. The next day, as their ship sails back to Sweden, Astrée spontaneously decides to stay. She runs down the gangway and finds Don Pedro waiting for her. They are soon married. Ten years later, in 1937, in Stockholm, Dr. Sven Nagel, a former lover of Astrée's, and his associate, Dr. Gomez, bid her Aunt Ana farewell. The doctors are departing for Puerto Rico, sponsored by Ana's medical foundation, to investigate the mysterious and deadly Puerto Rico fever. Ana also asks them to bring Astrée back home to Sweden. Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, Astrée is trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage to Don Pedro. Her paradise has turned to hell and her son, Juan, is her only reason to stay. Don Pedro has told her he will take the boy away if she tries to leave. Drs. Nagel and Gomez arrive, but their presence unnerves Don Pedro and his associates, who fear the focus on the Puerto Rico fever will ruin their business. An attempt to find a cure eight years earlier by researchers from the Rockefeller Institute was a failure, and the resulting international publicity depressed the island economy for three years, resulting in widespread famine. As a result, Don Pedro and the other businessmen have been covering up the disease's existence ever since, even though hundreds of islanders die from it every year. They do not want the doctors investigating it, and do everything in their power to stop them.