The Cinema of Cuba ─ Contemporary Film and the Legacy of Revolution

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 drives, or 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.

While this 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.

Guy Baron is a senior lecturer at Aberystwyth University, UK. He has published widely on Cuba, in particular on Cuban cinema – including his book Gender in Cuban Cinema (2011) – and his many articles have appeared in Hispanic Studies, Revista Cine Cubano, and the Bulletin of Latin American Research amongst other publications.

Antonio Alvarez Pitaluga is the vice-dean of the faculty of philosophy and history at the University of Havana. He specializes in Cuban cultural history and is published widely including his book Revolucion, Hegemonia y Poder: Cuba 1985-1898 (2012).

Ann Marie Stock is an award-winning professor of Hispanic studies and film and media, as well as a university library faculty scholar, at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. She is the author of On Location in Cuba: Street Filmmaking during Times of Transition (2009, 2015) and editor of World Film Locations: Havana (2014). Dr. Stock is also the founding director of Cuban Cinema Classics (www.cubancinemaclassics.org): a non-profit initiative designed to subtitle and disseminate Cuban documentaries.