The Cinema of Cuba: Contemporary Film and the Legacy of Revolution (World Cinema)

“Contemporary Cuba is opening up to the rest of the world. Its colonial past and the Communist revolution have left a lasting imprint on society, yet there is a tangible sense of rapid change which is reflected in the island’s national cinema. New screen technologies and digital distribution media have supported the efficacy and global reach of Cuban filmmakers whose work, somewhat in lieu of adequate distribution and traditional screening facilities in Cuba itself, is often disseminated via ‘flash’ (USB memory sticks). Channelling an energetic DIY attitude through grassroots movements and ad-hoc resourcefulness, the new filmmakers of Cuba have inspired the editors of this book to embrace their contagious enthusiasm through essays on authentic Cuban cinema. Whilst the book provides a comprehensive overview of the history behind current practices, it also moves beyond this to examine key case studies as well as ‘snapshots’ of individuals working within the industry today. Chapters celebrate the shared creativity as well as diversity of Cuban cinema, including both productions of the Cuban Film Institute’s (ICAIC) as well as those from the industry margins. The films discussed demonstrate a driving cinematic force through social criticism, the emphasis of debate and historical change through film, reassessments of gender relations, the use of new technologies and much more.” Cover Author bio Series information Endorsement Title page Copyright information Table of contents List of illustrations Contributors Acknowledgements Part One Pan / Context / Nation Introduction to Part One History of Cuban Cinema: A Pending Task for the Social Sciences in the Twenty-First Century Note 1 Brief Notes on a History of Cuban Cinema (1959–2015) A Brief Look at Cuban Cinema from 1959 A Truncated Rebirth Crisis and Coproductions Cuban Cinema of Today and Tomorrow Notes 2 Cuban Cinema at the Start of the New Millennium: Dysfunction, Isolation and the Struggle for Identity Notes 3 Community Film and Audiovisual Production in Cuba Historical Precedents Testimonies from the Interior Communities in their Multiple Images (2000–10) Muestra de Nuevos Realizadores Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre, Gibara Other projects: CREART and MEPLA Conclusion Notes 4 Cinema, Race and Revolution: Dialogue and Disagreements of a Cuban Trilogy Subversion of the Old Bourgeois Order Mestizaje versus Racism: Two Faces of Cuban Feature Films Notes Part Two Zoom / Text / Auteur Introduction to Part Two Cuban Cinema: Crisis or Transition? Notes 5 Cubist Cuba: Memorias del desarrollo (Memories of Overdevelopment, 2010) Stop/Start Artist/Statement Film/Digital Spaces/Surfaces Revolution/Art Practicality/Methodology Book/Film Fracture/Suture Memory/Forgetting Symptoms/Diagnosis Reality/Unreality Treatment/Cure Man/Machine Story/Life Epilogue/Prologue Notes 6 Then Came the Special Period: Cinema of Fernando Pérez Notes 7 Zombie Nation: Monstrous Identities in Three Cuban Films There is a Spectre Haunting Cuba Vampiros en La Habana and Más Vampiros en La Habana: Symbolic Order and its Transgression Juan de los Muertos: Real versus Symbolic Order Kernel of Enjoyment Notes 8 Director as Social Critic: Guantanamera and Barrio Cuba Notes 9 Within, Against, Inside, Out: Ian Padrón, Fuera de liga, Habanastation and Music Video Fuera de liga (Dreaming in Blue): What’s the Score? Habanastation: A Ludic Parenthesis in the Midst of Everyday Reality? Buena Fe Video Clips: Stressing the Off Beat Conclusion Note on Translations Funding Notes Part Three Reverse Shot / Individual / Testimony Introduction to Part Three Struggling against Separation: Cuban Filmmakers Create and Connect in the Twenty-First Century Aram Vidal Oneyda González Carlos Rodríguez Zaira Zarza Notes 10 Circular Road: National Cinema – Global Film National Film Global Film Circular Path Notes 11 Trains of Silence Notes 12 From the Community to the World: Perspectives of an Individual Creator within the Televisión Serrana Audiovisual ... Creative Team versus Individual Creator Individual/Author in a Collective Audiovisual Project Rodríguez versus Rodríguez: a Turning Point Conclusion Notes 13 From Exilic to Diasporic: New Cuban Cinemas in the United States Filmmakers of Exile Multi-sited Narratives Beyond the Ideological Divide Filming Genre at the Margins Towards the End of Exile Notes Bibliography Index Contemporary Cuba is opening up to the rest of the world. Its colonial past and the Communist revolution have left a lasting imprint on society, yet there is tangible sense of rapid change which is reflected in the island's national cinema. New screen technologies and digital distribution media have supported the efficacy and global reach of Cuban filmmakers whose work, somewhat in lieu of adequate distribution and traditional screening facilities in Cuba itself, is often disseminated via 'flash' (USB memory sticks). Channelling an energetic DIY attitude through grassroots movements and ad-hoc resourcefulness, the new filmmakers of Cuba have inspired the editors of this book to embrace their contagious enthusiasm through essays on authentic Cuban cinema. Whilst the book provides a comprehensive overview of the history behind current practices, it also moves beyond this to examine key case studies as well as 'snapshots' of individuals working within the industry today. Chapters celebrate the shared creativity as well as diversity of Cuban cinema, including both productions of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) as well as those from the industry margins. The films discussed demonstrate a driving cinematic force through social criticism, the emphasis of debate and historical change through film, reassessments of gender relations, the use of new technologies and much more--back cover. Contemporary Cuba is opening up to the rest of the world. Its colonial past and the Communist revolution have left a lasting imprint on society, yet there is tangible sense of rapid change which is reflected in the island's national cinema. New screen technologies and digital distribution media have supported the efficacy and global reach of Cuban filmmakers whose work, somewhat in lieu of adequate distribution and traditional screening facilities in Cuba itself, is often disseminated via 'flash' (USB memory sticks). Channelling an energetic DIY attitude through grassroots movements and ad-hoc resourcefulness, the new filmmakers of Cuba have inspired the editors of this book to embrace their contagious enthusiasm through essays on authentic Cuban cinema. Whilst the book provides a comprehensive overview of the history behind current practices, it also moves beyond this to examine key case studies as well as 'snapshots' of individuals working within the industry todya. Chapters celebrate the shared creativity as well as diversity of Cuban cinema, including both productions of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) as well as those from the industry margins. The films discussed demonstrate a driving cinematic force through social criticism, the emphasis of debate and historical change through film, reassessments of gender relations, the use of new technologies and much more--back cover.