The Ones Who Stay
Synopsis
Four young Cuban artists choose to stay in Cuba during what has now become the island's largest migration crisis. The One Who Stay is an intimate portrait of those who stay behind, lose loved ones, and shape the identity of a generation at risk of fading away.
Festivals
AWARDS
Best Documentary Short - Festival International du film insulaire de Groix, France, 2026
Public Choice Award - Festival International du film insulaire de Groix, France, 2026
SELECTIONS
Festival du nouveau cinéma, Canada, 2025 (World Premiere)
Festival Regard, Canada, 2026
Festival vues sur mer, Canada, 2026
Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma - RVQC, Canada, 2026
Courts sur place, Canada, 2026
FIFIG - Festival International du film insulaire de Groix, France, 2026
OFF-Courts Trouville, France, 2026
Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec - FCVQ, Canada, 2026
The Smalls Film Festival, UK, 2026
ONLINE
Regard - Best of Queb X La Fab / Télé-Québec, web, March 2026
The New York Times - Op-Docs (Web), 2026
Written and directed by: Olivier Côté & Jean-François Bouchard
With: Devon Ruiz, Israel Martín Rodríguez, Ronald O. Rodrìguez Alfonso, Tomás Agüero
DOP: Olivier Côté
Editing: Olivier Côté, Félix Bouffard-Dumas, Laura Bari
Sound: Christophe Voyer, Frédérick Takvorian, Jacob Marcoux
Music: Ludovic Rolland-Marcotte
Production: Olivier Côté (Roger Lee Productions)
Executive producer: Jean-François Bouchard
Version
Original: Spanish
With English or French subtitles
Format
16:9 / 5.1
H264, ProRes, DCP
Olivier Côté is a director and script-writer who grew up between Montreal and Puerto Rico. His previous short films, Strike (2021) and Kings (2023), have garnered recognition at festivals worldwide (Palm Springs, Rhode Island, Interfilm-Berlin, Regard, +). He advocates for intimate cinema as a means to better question social trends. The Ones Who Stay is his documentary directing debut.Jean-François Bouchard has worked in lens-based visual art since 2003, focusing on marginalized and misunderstood groups in Western society. His work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and festivals across Canada, the U.S., and France. His photographs have appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, Stern Magazine, and Wired. His upcoming book, The New Cubans, will be exhibited internationally. The Ones Who Stay is his documentary directing debut.
