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