documentary shorts screening - mothlightmicrocinema.org filescreening description...
TRANSCRIPT
Documentary shorts screening
Program curated by Mary Pena
Screening Description
Through a range of differing and subjective perspectives on the complexities of
present-‐day Cuba, a group of documentary filmmakers from the renowned
International School of Film and Television (EICTV), craft multiple narratives in
collaboration with local production crews and one another. Made within the
confines of a specific geographical and temporal frame, the shorts series Based in
Havana, marries visions of the outsider looking in with those of the insider looking
out, creating nuanced views of contemporary realities, often cast one
dimensionally. Myriad tensions ripple across hastily-‐built relationships, varied
perceptions, social, political and historical allegiances—producing multi-‐layered
explorations of representation, the ephemerality of truth, and the strengths and
limitations of the documentary form.
Ciudad de Cartón (Cardboard City) 2017 | 10 min
This film explores the present-‐day
complexities of Havana, a city that lives
relentlessly in its isolated present,
suspended between the iconographic
trappings of its proud and colorful past, and
the realities of its uncertain future as it
faces having to make the big decisions that
will shape the country’s social and political
landscape. The observational camera invites
the audience to exhaust themselves in the
city’s dilapidated Caribe postcard world
before dragging them across its façade and
into its complex interior, a place where the
performance stops and where isolation and
emptiness permeate questions around the
contemporary Cuban identity. Ciudad de
Carton is a sensorial exploration of the
contrasting dual realities at play in present-‐
day Havana.
Co-‐Directors: Richie Benson, Louise Bernard, Richard Sharman, Daniel Gomez Uribe
Como Soy (As I Am) 2017 | 10 min
Filmed in Havana, Como Soy – As I Am -‐ shows the everyday lives of three people and their
experience of profound blindness. But its focus is on different ways of seeing -‐ the legacy of the
revolution and its consequences for those with disabilities; the choices facing contemporary
Cuba, and the light and shade of our rights and responsibilities as members of society.
Co-‐Directors: Sabrina Fuller, Joanna Pritchard, Annie Maguire
Eggun (The Dead) 2017 | 10 min
Dolls, commonly viewed as a benign
cultural object, are integral to everyday
religious practice among Santería initiates
in Cuba. Traditionally, dolls are animated by
ancestral spirits that guide and protect the
spirit mediums who care for them. Once
made of cloth through local craft
production, today plastic manufactured
dolls, embody the dead. Weaving the
narratives of three spirit mediums and a
dressmaker based in Havana, Cuba, this
documentary centers an overlooked aspect
of Cuban faith. Through their stories, the
intimate relationship between mediums
and their dolls unfolds—a journey that
winds from the doll’s purchase in a ration
economy, their spiritual and aesthetic
preparation, and the transfer of spiritual
power onto their owners.
Co-‐Directors: Rubin Whitmore II, Adriana Guiman, Raquel Anta, Mary Pena
En El Medio (In-Between) 2017 | 13 min
In the most famous area of Havana, called "Acera de Louvre", between the hotel Inglaterra and
Telegrafo stands a building inhabited by Cuban families. It’s said that in this building, in the
1863, young Cubans used to meet and express their political ideals regarding the separation
from Spain. They were called "Muchacos de la Acera del Louvre". According to the Cuban state,
locals and tourism should live together. This short documentary tells the stories of four families
that live between hotels, in an area crowded with tourists, in a universe of their own. The
attempts of renovating the building failed so far, but people keep their faith in the authorities
and in the communist ideology. A famous actor, a horologist, a former teacher and a couple of
former cabaret workers share their opinion about these realities, while they are watching the
evening telenovela. Their stories are intertwined with the silent story of the building as a
character.
The film was shot as a side project during the documentary film workshop in July 2017. The idea
of this project was supported and produced by Rubin Whitmore II, Gemma Thorpe, Rich
Broome and Mary Pena.
En La Sangre (In The Blood)
2017 | 6 min
An affectionate portrait of an eight-‐year-‐old boxer and his father, En la Sangre shows the value
of sport to an everyday family in Habana Vieja.
Co-‐Directors: Gemma Thorpe, Daniel Cuty, Rosie Holliday
Fidelista Sin Fidel (Fidelista without Fidel)
2017 | 10 min
A story of two revolutionaries on life under Fidel Castro and what they see for the future of
Cuba. Colonel Henry Pérez Martínez was a war pilot and worked closely with and under the
command of Fidel Castro for his entire career. Today he is a manager at a privately-‐owned
Indian restaurant in Havana, Cuba. Colonel Ezequiel Torres Tejeda was a spy and and worked in
clandestine operations across the world during Fidel Castro's regime. Today he works in
Internal security for the government. This is the first interview for both Colonel Henry Pérez
Martínez and Colonel Ezequiel Torres Tejeda.
This film was made by four international students at EICTV over the summer of 2017. The film
was censored by the international school.
Co-‐Directors: Ambra Batra, Raquel Anta, Richa Rai, Alexandra Nagy
Obini Batá: Women of the Drums
2017 | 14 min
In Havana, Cuba a multigenerational group of women defies convention and religious taboos
by playing the Bata drums. Together, they balance motherhood, family life, rehearsals, and
performances while inspiring a new artistic tradition.
DIrected by Damián Calvo
Produced by Irene Mendez
With Obini Bata, Daniela R De Armas, Melena Francis, Frank Oropesa, Eva Despaigne