Cuba in Film: Capturing a Revolution

To study the Cuban Revolution is to willingly enter into a battlefield of opinions, politics, and years of trauma. For some it is the single-most “successful” revolution in Latin America, while for others it is an example of dictatorship and a consistent denial of human rights. While the revolution is highly politicized and is often covered with pre-determined notions of good and evil, right and wrong, we will work to go beyond this binary to analyze Cuba through its cinema. In our study of Cuba, we will analyze the film representations (Cuban, US, Spanish, and those from the extended diaspora) of the Cuban Revolution to become aware of how these representations of the Cuban revolution are created and reinforce or challenge our notions of Cuba. Through a close analysis of the film industry, the use of cinema, narrative tools, soundtracks, camera angles, camera focus, character development, funding, and the cultural industry we will critically research how each of these aspects contribute to the versions of Cuba that we come in contact with in large and small screens. We will learn to recognize how the different versions of Cuba are created, challenged, or questioned. We will analyze how film and audiovisual language continues to reflect on the complexities of Cuban society, and how social media and technology is now challenging the limits of Cuban film, and possibly of the Revolution itself.

Azúcar amarga
Balseros
Buscándote Havana
De cierta manera  
De generación
Ex generación
Fresa y chocolate 
Guantanamera 
Juan de los muertos
Memorias del subdesarrollo
Now!
Offline
PM [Pasado Meridiano] 
Raza
Retrato de Teresa 
Soy Cuba

Michelle Leigh Farrell, Fairfield University

Attribution - NonCommercial