“Los Frikis” emerges from the shadows of early 1990s Cuba, a place where the dynamism of youth collides with the harsh reality of a post-Soviet sociopolitical landscape. In this crucible of despair, a gang of punk rockers, disillusioned by Fidel Castro’s tyrannical rule, find consolation in an audacious yet tragic rebellion.

They are the “Frikis,” monikers who capture their defiance, with each note of their music being a scream against the stillness enforced by the totalitarian government. The film depicts a stark vision of a stripped-down society in which the echoes of rock music—a genre prohibited by the state—serve as an act of disobedience, a lifeline to the world beyond the restrictive confines of their existence.

However, this rebellion is fraught with existential dread. Faced with starvation and desperation, many young people make the perilous decision to infect themselves with HIV, finding refuge in state-run clinics that promise sustenance and care.