Waiting List (1999)

In this allegorical comedy-drama, a disparate group of people wait at a rundown Cuban transit station for the next bus to arrive. The problem is, it never shows up. While a number of busses pass by the station, and others that are either full or at the end of the line stop by, it soon becomes obvious that the bus everyone was waiting for has left them high and dry. While one of the would-be passengers, Emilio (Vladimir Cruz), uses his down time to win the affections of beautiful Jacqueline (Thaimi Alvarino), most of the rest decide that if they're stuck without anywhere to go, they might as well make the station a better place to wait, and they begin forming a plan to turn the decrepit bus terminal into a showplace that people would look forward to visiting. Lista De Espera was directed by Juan Carlos Tabio, in what was his first solo directorial credit in eight years -- after several noted collaborative efforts. The film was shown as part of the Un Certain Regard series at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi