 Besides being a romantic comedy, the film is noted for depicting life in Cuba during the "Special Period" of the 1990s, a period of relative poverty for Cuba following the termination of Soviet aid to the country.The male protagonist, for example, was an engineer under the Soviet-supported regime, and now makes a living as a truck driver.The film is named after the song "Guantanamera" ("girl from Guantánamo") – perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song.