Cinema arrived in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

at the beginning of the 20th century. Before the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in co ...

of 1959, about 80 full-length films were produced in Cuba. Most of these films were

melodramas A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

. Following the revolution, Cuba entered what is considered the "Golden age" of Cuban cinema.

Early stages

After being popularised by the brothers Louis Jean and Auguste Marie Lumière, the

cinematographe Cinematograph or kinematograph is an early term for several types of motion picture film mechanisms. The name was used for movie cameras as well as film projectors, or for complete systems that also provided means to print films (such as the Cin ...

traveled through several capital cities in different American countries before arriving in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, which occurred on January 24, 1897. It was brought from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Gabriel Veyre Gabriel Veyre was an early film director and photographer born in France, but mainly known for his work in Mexico, Indochina and Morocco. Biography Veyre graduated in pharmacy from Lyon University. In 1896, he traveled along with Claude Ferdin ...

. The first presentation was offered at Paseo del Prado #126, just aside the

Teatro Tacón Teatro may refer to: * Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific p ...

. Four short films were shown: ''Partida de cartas'', ''El tren'', ''El regador y el muchacho'' y ''El sombrero cómico''. The tickets were sold at a price of 50 cents, and 20 cents for kids and the military. Short after, Veyre performed a leading role in the first film produced in the island, ''Simulacro de incendio'', a documentary centered around firemen in Havana. In this first phase of introduction there were several locations devoted to cinema: Panorama Soler, Salón de variedades o ilusiones ópticas, Paseo del Prado #118, Vitascopio de Edison (in the famous Louvre sidewalk). The Teatro Irioja (today

Teatro Martí Teatro Martí is a Neoclassical theater in Havana, Cuba. It was inaugurated on 8 June 1884 as the Teatro Irijoa, named after its founder and owner Ricardo Irijoa, from the Basque Country, Spain. It was originall used for the performance of zarz ...

) was the first to present cinema as one of its attractions. The first in a long list of movie theatres in Havana was set by José A. Casasús, actor, producer and entrepreneur, under the name of "Floradora", later renamed "Alaska". In the six or seven years before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, cinema was expanded and stabilized as a business in the most important cities in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. Cuba, just as the rest of the countries in the continent, went through those first years with itinerant and sporadic exhibitions, changing from European providers to North American providers, starting the dependency on the big Hollywood companies. The first ambitious genre in the continent was probably historic reviews. In Cuba films like ''El Capitán Mambí'' and ''Libertadores o guerrilleros'' (1914), by Enríque Díaz Quesada with support from Gen.

Mario García Menocal Aurelio Mario Gabriel Francisco García Menocal y Deop (December 17, 1866 – September 7, 1941) was the 3rd President of Cuba, serving from 1913 to 1921. His term as president saw Cuba's participation in World War I. Youth Born in Jagüey Gra ...

are worth mentioning. Díaz Quesada adapted from the Spanish novelist

Joaquín Dicenta Joaquín Dicenta Benedicto (1862–1917) was a Spanish journalist, novelist, playwright, poet and Republican politician. His 1895 play '' Juan José'', whose representation became a staple of every May Day, was the second-most performed in the Span ...

in 1910, as a tendency widely used then, of using literary works adapted for movies, as well as imitating Charlie Chaplin, the French comedies and cowboy adventure films. The silent stage of production was extended until 1937, when the first full-length fiction movie was produced.

Pre-revolutionary cinema

Before the Cuban Revolution of 1959 the total film production was around 80 full-length movies. Some films are worth mentioning, such as ''La Virgen de la Caridad'' starring Miguel Santos and ''Romance del Palmar'' by

Ramón Peón Ramón Peón (1887–1971) was a Cuban actor, screenwriter and film director. He also produced and edited some of his films.Hershfield & Maciel, p. 41 Selected filmography * '' El veneno de un beso'' (1929) * '' Road of Hell'' (1931) * ''Sanct ...

. Many famous people from the continent came to the island to film, and some leading Cuban actors had a strong presence mainly in Mexico and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Musicians such as

Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...

Bola de Nieve Bola de Nieve (literally ''Snowball'') (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, was a Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His name originates from his round, black face. Villa Fernández was born in Guanaba ...

Rita Montaner Rita Aurelia Fulcida Montaner y Facenda (20 August 1900 – 17 April 1958), known as Rita Montaner, was a Cuban singer, pianist and actress. In Cuban parlance, she was a '' vedette'' (a star), and was well known in Mexico City, Paris, Miami and ...

also performed and composed for movies in several countries.

Cinema after the revolution

In the first days of 1959, the new government created a cinematographic department within the ''Dirección de Cultura del Ejército Rebelde'' (Culture Division of the Rebel Army), which sponsored the production of documentaries such as ''Esta tierra nuestra'' by

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (; December 11, 1928 – April 16, 1996) was a Cuban film director and screenwriter. He wrote and directed more than twenty features, documentaries, and short films, which are known for his sharp insight into post-Revolu ...

, and ''La vivienda'' by

Julio García Espinosa Julio García Espinosa (5 September 1926 – 13 April 2016) was a Cuban film director and screenwriter.Instituto Cubano del Arte y la Industria Cinematográficos'' (ICAIC), which was founded in March as a result of the first culture law of the revolutionary government. Film, according to this law, is "the most powerful and provocative form of artistic expression, and the most direct and widespread vehicle for education and bringing ideas to the public." The ICAIC founded ''Cine Cubano'' in 1960. All production, distribution, and exhibition in the country were run by ICAIC by 1965. The ICAIC also established mobile projection units called ''cine moviles'', trucks that visited remote areas to hold screenings. From its foundation up until 1980, Alfredo Guevara was head of the ICAIC. Under his direction, the organization was pivotal in the development of Cuban cinema which came to be identified with anti-imperialism and revolution.Michael Chanan, ''Cuban Cinema'' (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2004) 1-25. The first ten years of the institution were called by critics the Golden Age (''Década de Oro'') of Cuban cinema, most of all because of the making of ''

Lucía ''Lucía'' is a 1968 Cuban black-and-white drama film directed by Humberto Solás, and written by Solás, Julio García Espinosa and Nelson Rodríguez. It was the winner of the Golden Prize and the Prix FIPRESCI at the 6th Moscow International Fi ...

'' (1969) by

Humberto Solás Humberto Solás (4 December 1941 – 18 September 2008) was a Cuban film director, credited with directing the film ''Lucía'' (1968), which explored the lives of Cuban women during different periods in Cuban history. His cinematic style bor ...

and '' Memorias del subdesarrollo'' (''Memories of Underdevelopment'') (1968) by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. These two directors are often regarded as the best film directors to have come out of Cuba. ''Memorias del subdesarrollo'' was selected among the best 100 films of all times by the International Federation of Film Clubs. One of the most prolific and strong branches of the Cuban cinema in the last 40 years has been documentaries and short-films. The documentary ''Now'' (1965) by Santiago Álvarez is often considered the first

video clip Video clips refer to mostly short videos, most of the time called memes, which are short videos of silly jokes and funny clips, most of the time coming from movies or any entertainment videos such as YouTube. The term is also used more loosely to ...

in history. It combines a song with an uninterrupted sequence of images depicting

racial discrimination Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain g ...

in the U.S.. Animation has also been a major highlight in the last decades. In 1974, Juan Padrón gave birth to ''

Elpidio Valdés Elpidio Valdés is a cartoon character and comic, who starred in a number of features, shorts and strips of the same name. He was created in 1970 by cartoonist and Cuban filmmaker Juan Padrón, considered the father of Cuban film animation and ...

'', a character that represents a mambí fighter, struggling for Cuban independence against the Spanish occupation in the 19th century. It is very popular among Cuban children. Another great success of Cuban animation was the full-length film '' Vampiros en La Habana'' (1983), also by Juan Padrón. Essential in the history of Cuban cinema is the ''Noticiero ICAIC Latinoamericano'' (Latin-American ICAIC News) whose first director was Alfredo Guevara. Years later it was directed by Santiago Álvarez and the Mexican Rodolfo Espino, the most successful documentary maker in the island. In 1979 the ICAIC played a key role in the creation of the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano (International Festival of New

n Cinema) allowing Latin American films a more international audience. The festival is one of the most important of its type in Latin America and has been held in Havana every year since 1979. There is also an international cinema university, the '' Escuela Internacional de Cine, Televisión y Video de San Antonio de los Baños'' (International School of Cinema, Television and Video of San Antonio de los Baños) located in

San Antonio de los Baños San Antonio de los Baños is a municipality and town in the Artemisa Province of Cuba. It is located 26 km from the city of Havana, and the Ariguanabo River runs through it. It was founded in 1802. History There are 39 schools in the town, ...

near Havana, on land donated by the Cuban government and supported by the '' Fundación del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano'',

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

and the Father of the New Latin American Cinema, Fernando Birri. Hundreds of young students from all over Latin America have studied direction, script, photography and edition. The contribution of the ICAIC, which was rapidly positioned as the head of a process aiming for legitimate artistic values and expression of nationality, is not limited only to the support in producing and promoting a movement that spanned fiction, documentary and animation, but also allowed for the exhibition and spread of popular knowledge of the best of cinema from all over the world. It also created the film archives of the Cinemateca de Cuba, and took part in initiatives such as Cinemóviles, which made cinema available on the most intricate sites of the national

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

. The institution also helped developing the Cuban poster, as a mean of promoting films. It gave birth between 1969 and 1977, to the Grupo de Experimentación Sonora, which influenced

Cuban music The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban mu ...

to a great extent, serving as a starting point for the movement of the

Nueva Trova Nueva Trova (, "new trova") is a movement in Cuban music that emerged around 1967/68 after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the consequent political and social changes. Nueva Trova has its roots in the traditional trova, but differs from it beca ...

. Figures like

Silvio Rodríguez Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez (born 29 November 1946) is a Cuban musician, and leader of the Nueva Trova movement. He is widely considered Cuba's best folk singer and arguably one of Latin America's greatest singer-songwriters. Known for his in ...

, Pablo Milanés and

Leo Brouwer Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cuban composer, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council. Family He is the grandson of Cuban composer Ernestina Lecuona y Casado. ...

were prominent through all this process. In 1980, Alfredo Guevara was ousted from his position as head of the ICAIC, which he had held since its formation, over controversies about

Cecilia (1982 film) ''Cecilia'' is a 1982 Cuban drama film directed by Humberto Solás. The film is based on the novel ''Cecilia Valdés'' by Cirilo Villaverde. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The film takes place in 19th-century Cuba. Cub ...

. The film, directed by Humberto Solás, was based on the 19th century Cuban novel

Cecilia Valdés ''Cecilia Valdés'' is both a novel by the Cuban writer Cirilo Villaverde (1812–1894), and a zarzuela based on the novel. It is a work of importance for its quality, and its revelation of the interaction of classes and races in Havana, C ...

. It was the most ambitious Cuban film to date and somewhat monopolized the funds available to filmmakers during its production. This, coupled with the fact that many other directors and the general public did not agree with Solás's interpretation of the film, led to the removal of Alfredo Guevara from his position. Having won a great deal of autonomy from the central government in the 1970s, the ICAIC, under the new leadership of Julio García Espinosa, was allowed to make many films dealing with sociopolitical issues. Espinosa was able to increase the recognition of Cuban film and especially of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema by obtaining greater funds from the government and also inviting big names such as Francis Ford Coppola, Sydney Pollack, Robert De Niro, and Jack Lemmon to the island. Despite his successes, Espinosa faced a large problem in 1991, again due to a controversial film. This film, entitled ''Alicia en el pueblo de Maravillas'', was very critical of the bureaucracy of the government. This, combined with the simultaneous collapse of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, led to Espinosa's retirement. During this time, Alfredo Guevara returned to the scene of the ICAIC in order to help it maintain its autonomy from the central government. Many of the party faithful were calling for the organization to merge with the Cuban Radio and Television Institute. Due to the loss of Cuba's largest trading partner, the Soviet Union, the future of the island country became uncertain, and criticism of the government, which the ICAIC was known for, became unpopular. Guevara managed to get the film released and allow the ICAIC to keep its independent status. He then remained president of the organization throughout the

Special Period The Special Period ( es, Período especial, link=no), officially the Special Period in the Time of Peace (), was an extended period of economic crisis in Cuba that began in 1991 primarily due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and, by ext ...

until his retirement in 2000. One of the most notable Cuban films in the recent years was ''Fresa y chocolate'' ('' Strawberry and Chocolate'') (1993) by

and Juan Carlos Tabío. It is about intolerance, and portrays the friendship between a homosexual and a young member of the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (a communist youth organization). It was also the first Cuban production to ever be nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. Omar González succeeded Alfredo Guevara as the head of the ICAIC and remains in that position today. It continues to directly aid in the production and distribution of films and has production offices, issues film permits, rents studios and equipment to filmmakers, and is closely involved in each stage of the film, from its inception and production, to its distribution and release.

Cinema of the Cuban diaspora

After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Cubans who were ideologically ill at ease with the new revolutionary government made their way to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, where they settled in concentrated communities made up of other Cubans in South

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, New York, and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. Unlike traditional immigrants who chose to leave the homeland behind in search of a better way of life in a new place, most of these Cubans consider themselves exiles forced out of their homeland by political or economic circumstances. Because they continue to think of themselves as Cuban even after decades in the United States, it is appropriate to talk about them as part of a Cuban diaspora that links them emotionally and psychologically to the island. Over one million Cubans have left Cuba since 1959 in different waves of immigration. Among those are talented directors, technicians and actors who settled in the USA, Latin America or

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, in search of work and creative space in the field of cinema. ''Los gusanos'' (''The Worms'') (1978) produced by Danilo Bardisa and directed by Camilo Vila was the first film made by the Cuban exiles dealing with Cuban politics. The screenplay written by Orestes Matacena, Clara Hernandez and Camilo Vila has an overwhelming impact in the U.S. Cuban community inspiring many other Cuban filmmakers to tell their stories with their cameras. Orlando Jiménez Leal, one of the best known exile filmmakers, produced '' El Super'' (1979), the first Cuban exile fictional film, directed by Jiménez Leal and his young brother-in-law, Leon Ichaso. Based on a play by Ivan Acosta, the film was broadly distributed in the U.S. and won awards at film festivals in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...

, Biarritz and

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

. The film examines the trauma of the Cuban

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

, showing them as displaced from their former life and unable to adapt to new circumstances. It also highlights generational conflicts between Cuban-born parents and their teenage children who have been raised in the U.S. and reject tradition in favor of the North American way of life. Jiménez Leal went on to make documentary films such as ''The Other Cuba'' (1983) and '' Improper Conduct'' (1984) in collaboration with

Néstor Almendros Néstor Almendros Cuyás, (30 October 1930 – 4 March 1992) was a Spanish cinematographer. One of the most highly appraised contemporary cinematographers, "Almendros was an artist of deep integrity, who believed the most beautiful light wa ...

. ''Improper Conduct'' is a highly

controversial Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

film that deals with the treatment of gays in Cuba. ''The Other Cuba'' is a bitter denunciation of the Revolution told from the point of view of the exiled community. The director's strong anti-Castro stance gave voice to the growing community of Cuban political exiles in the U.S. in the 1980s. Leon Ichaso's best known film in the U.S. is ''Bitter Sugar ''(1996), a fictional film that strongly criticizes life in post-revolutionary Cuba. The screenplay, written by Ichaso and Orestes Matacena shows the disillusionment of a young Communist and his girlfriend, who are pushed to the breaking point by a repressive society. In tone and theme, it is similar to Jorge Ulla's ''Guaguasí'' (1982), which had less distribution in the U.S. The ''Guaguasí'' screenplay, written by Orestes Matacena, Clara Hernandez and Ulla, portrays a simple man from the countryside, played by actor Orestes Matacena, who is brutalized by his experiences with the revolutionary government in Cuba. The reactionary stance of directors like Villa, Ulla, Ichaso, Almendros and Jiménez Leal has made them the cinematic spokespersons for Cubans who believe that Fidel Castro is personally responsible for negative changes that have occurred in Cuba since 1959. ''Bitter Sugar'' has been shown to the

Human Rights Commission A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights. The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as nationa ...

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

, Switzerland and to the

US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

. An important theme in cinema of the Cuban diaspora is the coming and going of people in exile, and the difficult process of adaptation to a new culture. Iván Acosta made the film ''Amigos'' (1986) to show the painful bicultural existence of Cuban-Americans living in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. Although it is a

low-budget A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or ...

film, it does an effective job of capturing the problems of the younger generation of

Cuban-Americans Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or t ...

who are torn between the desire to fit in and the pressure to uphold tradition. ''Lejanía'' (1985) by Jesús Díaz is the first film to deal with the issue of Cuban exiles returning to the island for visits with relatives. ''Cercanía'' (2008) by Rolando Díaz, the brother of Jesús, shows a recent arrival from Cuba attempting to reconcile with his family in Miami after decades apart. Rather than address political themes in a direct way, these films focus on personal issues related to adaptation and culture shock. ''Honey for Oshún'' (2001) by Humberto Solás, a Cuban director who remained in Cuba, addresses the clash between Cuban-Americans returning to the island and those who never left. It hints that reconciliation is possible, as long as those who return are willing to accept Cuba on its own terms and not force

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

ideology on the Cuban people. In Cuba, films made by Cuban-Americans or Cubans in exile are not widely distributed or well known, in part because the films deal with the Revolution in a negative light, but also because Cubans on the island dispute the notion of a Cuban diaspora and believe that those who live in exile no longer represent Cuban reality in an authentic light. They take the position that directors who experience life outside Cuba represent Cuba through a distorted lens, and that the films they make are largely works of propaganda. Many important Cuban actors now live in exile. Among them are

César Évora César Évora Díaz (; born November 4, 1959, in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban actor. Biography Évora started his career in Cuba appearing in more than ten movies before moving to Mexico in the early 1990s. He became known for playing minor roles ...

, Anabel Leal, Reinaldo Cruz,

Francisco Gattorno Francisco Alejandro Gattorno Sánchez (; born October 12, 1964), better known in the show business world plainly as Francisco Gattorno, is a Cuban-Mexican actor. Biography Francisco grew up in Santa Clara. He is a son of a Canarian father, an ...

, Reynaldo Miravalles, Tomás Millán, William Marquez, Orestes Matacena and Isabel Moreno. Cuban American actors who were born in Cuba but grew up in the U.S. include

Andy García Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...

, Steven Bauer, William Levy, and

Tony Plana José Antonio Plana (born April 19, 1952) is a Cuban actor and director. He is known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC television show ''Ugly Betty'' and for voicing Manuel "Manny" Calavera in the video game ''Grim ...

International co-productions

The

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companie ...

of films has become very important for the cinema of Cuba and also for the rest of Latin America. An internationally co-produced film is one in which two or more production companies from different countries are involved, or the financing has been sourced from more than one country. Co-productions are becoming increasingly common today but even as early as 1948 were common between Cuba and

. International co-productions began to take off in the 1960s and 1970s, many with the aim of increasing political awareness and highlighting common problems in Latin American countries. Before its dissolution, the USSR also played a role of co-producing films in Cuba such as

Mikhail Kalatozov Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozov ( ka, მიხეილ კალატოზიშვილი, russian: Михаил Константинович Калатозов; 28 December 1903 – 26 March 1973), born Mikheil Kalatozishvili, was a So ...

's '' I Am Cuba''. The increased importance of co-produced films was inevitable due to

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...

, and in the case of Cuba especially, due to a lack of economic resources. A film created with the cooperation of two or more countries nearly always guaranteed distribution in both countries, resulting in a greater audience and increased

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...

s. This also allowed for more exposure of regional cinemas. Beginning as early as the 1930s Spain played a role in producing Latin American and Cuban films, but began to invest more heavily in the 1990s. In 1997, Ibermedia was created for the purpose of promoting co-production between Spain and Latin American countries. There are 14 countries involved in this organization and Cuba is one of them. Two examples of Cuban co-produced films are Humberto Solás's ''Cecilia'' (Cuba/Spain) and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío's

-nominated ''Strawberry and Chocolate'' (Cuba/Mexico/Spain). There have been mixed opinions about the development of co-productions. For some it is a

necessary evil A necessary evil is an evil that someone believes must be done or accepted because it is necessary to achieve a better outcome—especially because possible alternative courses of action or inaction are expected to be worse. It is the "lesser evi ...

. Humberto Solás states that "For established filmmakers there is not a single cent for production. We are obliged to seek co-productions. If a film is not co-produced, it will not be made." The problem with finding foreign funding for Cuban films is that, often, the financiers want to have some amount of influence over the final product so that it can be successful in their own countries. Frequently there are also stipulations that require a certain number of cast and crew to be working on the film from each of the producing countries. For example, a Cuban film that was co-produced by Spain would require a certain number of Spanish actors, writers or directors, and production technicians. This makes it difficult for Cuban national cinema to hold on to its identity and also creates issues when determining the nationality of a film. Julio García Espinosa agrees that the benefit of co-productions is that it has allowed for films to continue being made in Cuba and Latin America, but believes that the most successful co-productions are those that exist solely between Latin American countries. Cuba has been involved in aiding in the production of other Latin American films, but through technical assistance rather than acting as a financier. One example is

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an director

Miguel Littín Miguel Ernesto Littin Cucumides (born 9 August 1942) is a Chilean film director, screenwriter, film producer and novelist. He was born to a Palestinian people, Palestinian father, Hernán Littin and a Greeks, Greek mother, Cristina Cucumides. C ...

's Academy Award-nominated ''

Alsino and the Condor ''Alsino and the Condor'' ( es, Alsino y el cóndor) is a 1982 Nicaraguan film directed by Chilean filmmaker Miguel Littín. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It won the Golden Prize at the 13th Moscow Interna ...

'', which was shot in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

and received technical support from Cuba. Also in the late 1980s, Cuba created the Third World Film School to train students from various third world countries in the art of filmmaking.

Imperfect cinema

Cuban cinema and Latin American films communicate many different meanings, messages, and focuses. Cuban film director Julio García Espinosa was well known in the 1960s for his contributions to cinematography and culture. He was a founder of the ICAIC and the President of the Section of Cinema of the Cultural Society. The main objectives of Cuban cinema were production, distribution, and screening films that recorded the ongoing revolutionary process from the perspectives of ordinary people.Davies, Catherine. "Modernity, masculinity and Imperfect Cinema in Cuba." 38 (1997): 345. According to Davies, the films that were shot on location and featured local people were shown free of charge across the country in city cinemas and on makeshift village screens to spectators who were encouraged to participate actively in the films' reception and interpretation. In 1968–88, the most common and desired form of film used in Cuba was Imperfect Cinema. It can be acknowledged that Imperfect Cinema was creative, innovative and possessed a distinctive style that is typically a very thought provoking original work of art, Oscar Quirós concluded.Quiros, Oscar. Critical Mass of Cuban Cinema: Art as the Vanguard of Society. John Logie Baird Center and Oxford University Press, 1996. Imperfect films captured the viewer's attention because the relevance of the story line matched what the audiences were experiencing in their own lives. Imperfect Cinema is a form or theme found through audiences that have struggled in life and are aware of the hard times the people were going through. Only in the person who suffers people perceive elegance, gravity, even beauty; only in him people recognize the possibility of authenticity, seriousness, and sincerity. Not only does imperfect cinema represent the struggles of the people it also reveals the process which has generated the problem.Espinosa, Julio Garcia. For an Imperfect Cinema. Berkeley: Jump Cut, 1979. The subjective element is the selection of the problem, conditioned as it is by the interest of the audience-which is the subject. The objective element is showing the process-which is the object. Imperfect Cinema uses the audience as the subject to show the process of the problem as the object. Aside from indicating the demonstrative, communicative and inquisitive qualities, these characteristics also convey an implicit

utilitarian In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...

quality. In other words, Imperfect Cinema possesses utilitarian features because it must perform a particular political function within society. Cubans felt included by the films which gave them a sense of importance and

pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) w ...

. Cuban and Latin American films were successful in the international market even though they did not always fit the hegemonic models or use mainstream film languages. Imperfect Cinema is a great example of film that is accepted internationally even though it does not fit into the Hollywood genre or codes of representation. Style for Imperfect Cinema is thus defined by the specific techniques and qualities contextualized in orthodox

Marxism Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...

's aesthetics of content over form, such as the use of 'type' characters, harsh imagery made by scratches, under/over exposure, high contrast, excessive movements of the camera, presentation of historical events and the wide use of hand-held cameras. This form of film was very popular among the revolutionary people because the films were portrayed in a manner that was very easy to relate to and shared a common feeling and interest among the people that were experiencing similar situations that were occurring in Cuba at the time. The revolution provided alternatives, supplied an entirely new response, enabled the country to do away with elitist concepts and practices in art, and was the highest expression of culture because it abolished artistic culture as a fragmentary human activity. Imperfect Cinema was responsible for making a reputation for Cuban film, but by the mid-1970s, Cuban filmmakers were purposely making a different style of cinema. Chanan, for example, concludes that by the late 1970s Imperfect Cinema had just about disappeared. He believes that since then Cuban cinema has given up the challenge of creating its own style in favor of imitating Hollywood. For Garcia Espinosa and many of his fellow Latin American filmmakers, Imperfect Cinema was the answer to the need of creating a form of art that demonstrates the process of the problems ... not a cinema to beautifully illustrate concepts and ideas they already know. The purpose of this revolutionary form of film was derived from the revolution itself. By 1989, Cuban cinema had the formal sophistication to carry any revolutionary message, or none at all, Quirós indicated. Imperfect cinema was no longer interested in quality or technique. It can be created equally well with a Mitchell or with an 8mm camera, in a studio or in a guerrilla camp in the middle of the jungle. Since all of these critical operations require new approaches to film directing, they cannot expect flawless results every time. Films built on the consecrated conventions of traditional cinematography are more likely to attain technical "perfection" than those necessarily "imperfect" attempts to challenge established conventions and search out new approaches. The opposite of imperfect cinema is "perfect" cinema which is basically described as films that are portrayed as perfect, flawless, and contain beautiful scenery. The majority of scenes that are shot in a "perfect" film are in a beautiful place, typically the film is not produced to make the viewer think, and they're usually more aesthetically pleasing rather than meaningful. They maintain that imperfect cinema must above all show the process which generates the problems. It is thus the opposite of a cinema principally dedicated to celebrating results, the opposite of a self-sufficient and contemplative cinema, the opposite of a cinema which "beautifully illustrates" ideas or concepts which we already possess. However, the aesthetic changes that were better perceived after the mid-1970s were a reflexion of the social underlying changes in the ideological Marxist fabric away from Orthodox Marxism and more in tune with the Marxian ideal of emancipation. The new Perfect Cinema is not a cinema to move away from the social, political, and economic issues of Cuban society, but it is a move forward to better illustrate the Cuban social whole. These aesthetic changes that characterize Perfect Cinema predate the collapse of the Soviet block and the end of the Cold War underlying the significance of this new Cuban style of cinema as both as manifestation of social changes and a leader of such a change. Modern authorship is established and valued mostly as a matter of output and public success. "Perfect" films are valued by critics, awards, and merchandise that are produced because of the film. Compared to "perfect" films, imperfect films focus on the art, sending a message, and creating substance. Most Latin American films can only achieve success in the international market if they emulate hegemonic models and borrow from mainstream film languages.Shaw, Deborah. Contemporary Latin American Cinema: Breaking into the Global Market. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2007. The "perfect" films are difficult for Latin American and Cuban film makers to compete with because most viewers are interested in watching films that are visually attractive and don't require a lot of thought while watching. It stands to reason that today's changing circumstances of film production and consumption determine that genres cannot exist by mere repetition and recycling of past models but have to engage with difference and change. Art will not disappear into nothingness; it will disappear into everything.

Post-Cold War era

The post Cold War period is known as the "Special Period" in Cuba. During this time period the Cuban cinema industry suffered greatly (as did the Cuban citizens due to severe economic depression). This is best phrased by Elliott Young:

The state expected artists, filmmakers, and intellectuals to become economically autonomous and not rely on state subsidies; this new market orientation forced cultural producers to seek foreign financing or simply to leave the country altogether. The impact of the economic crisis hit the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográfico (ICAIC) directly, leading to an exodus of personnel and the slowing down of production to the extent that, in 1996, the Institute did not release a single feature film.

The films that were produced were no longer made solely for Cuban people, but mainly for foreign audiences. Pastor Vega states "Before one only thought about the Cuban public. Now you have to think about 'marketing' and 'profits' and all that". However, the films that were produced for the Cuban people, tended to take a more drastic turn towards more controversial issues. One of the biggest genres that came out of this period was about homosexuality. One of the most popular movies that come out of this time period is called ''Fresa y chocolate'' (1994, ''Strawberry and Chocolate''). The success of this movie "can be partially explained by the way the film elicits multiple recognition from the Cuban viewer" and that it makes the viewer think/look at the film in a different light. During this time the producers and directors had to always think about cost of production. In the past, going on long excursions to make films were the standard rather than the exception. A perfect example of a movie that was made through this time period is called ''Madagascar'' (1994), directed by Fernando Perez. Ann Marie Stock states (about the production of ''Madagascar''):

''Madagascar'' (1994), was made against all odds, during a time when Cuba's state sponsored film institute was experiencing shortages of virgin film stock, fuel to transport crews and equipment, food to provide a meal to those working long days, and the hard currency necessary to edit, produce and distribute films.Ann M. Stock, "Imagining the Future in Revolutionary Cuba: Interview with Fernando Pérez." ''FILM QUARTERLY'' 60, (2007): 69.

The films that were lucky enough to be put into production, found them that they were being produced as close to the ICAIC (Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry) as possible, or found that the major cities (Havana,

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

, etc. ...) became the backdrop to the plot of the movies. This allowed the directors to use ordinary citizens in the movies instead of having to bring in extras for production. The director could even use citizens' homes as a backdrop, if the owner agreed to allow the director to use it.

Renowned figures

Directors

* Santiago Álvarez * Octavio Cortázar * Juan Carlos Cremata * Rolando Díaz *

Sergio Giral Sergio Giral (born 2 January 1937) is a Cuban-American film writer and director. He was raised in New York City, as an aspiring young painter in the days of the Beatnik generation. In 1962, Oscar-winning cinematographer Nestor Almendros invited ...

* Pavel Giroud *

Manuel Octavio Gómez Manuel Octavio Gómez (November 14, 1934 – January 2, 1988) was a prolific Cuban film director and writer. His 1971 film '' The Days of Water'' was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Prix FIPRESCI Th ...

Sara Gómez Sara Gómez aka Sarita Gómez (November 8, 1942 – June 2, 1974) was a Cuban filmmaker. As a member of ICAIC (Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos, in English: Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry'')'' during ...

Nicolás Guillén Landrián Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938 in Camagüey, Cuba - July 23, 2003 in Miami, Florida) was a Cuban experimental filmmaker and painter. Guillén was an accomplished filmmaker. He made a total of 13 documentaries, although they were heavily censor ...

Eduardo Manet Eduardo Manet (born 19 June 1930) is a Cuban-born novelist and playwright writing in French. His work has been translated into over 20 languages. Life Born in Santiago de Cuba, Manet lived in Paris and Italy in the 1950s. In 1960 he returned to ...

* Orestes Matacena * Jorge Molina * Fernando Pérez * Mario Rivas * Jorge Luis Sánchez *

Oscar Valdés Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

* Humberto López y Guerra * Juan Carlos Tabío *

Pastor Vega Pastor Vega (12 February 1940 – 2 June 2005) was a Cuban film director and screenwriter. He directed nine films between 1964 and 2003. His 1979 film ''Portrait of Teresa'' was entered into the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. S ...

* Miguel Coyula * Ernesto Daranas

Actors and actresses

Ana de Armas Ana Celia de Armas Caso (; born 30 April 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress. She began her career in Cuba and had a leading role in the romantic drama '' Una rosa de Francia'' (2006). At age 18, she moved to Madrid, Spain, and starred in t ...

Beatriz Valdés Beatriz Valdés Fidalgo (born May 12, 1963, in Havana) is a Cuban-Venezuelan actress. She was born in Cuba, where she studied drama and worked as an actress before she arrived to Venezuela as a guest at the Cinema Interamerican Forum in 1989. She ...

Daisy Granados Daisy Granados (born 9 December 1942) is a Cuban film actress. She has appeared in more than 40 films since 1964. At the 11th Moscow International Film Festival in 1979, she won the award for Best Actress for her role in '' Portrait of Teresa'' ...

* Enrique Molina * Eva Méndez *

Jorge Perugorría Jorge Perugorría Rodríguez (aka "Pichi," born 13 August 1965) is a Cuban actor, film director and painter. He is well known for his part as Diego in '' Strawberry and Chocolate'' (original title in Spanish ''Fresa y chocolate'' (co-directed by ...

Mario Cimarro Mario Antonio Cimarro Paz (born June 1, 1971) is a Cuban actor. Biography Mario Antonio Cimarro Paz was born on June 1, 1971 in Havana, Cuba. He is the son of Antonio Luis Cimarro and María Caridad Paz. He has a sister, named María Antonia ...

Mijail Mulkay Mijail Mulkay Bordon (born April 20, 1974 in Cuba) is a Cuban actor. Television * CELIA: La vida de Celia Cruz - Tico Fuentes (Tito Puente) (2015) *Voltea pa' que te Enamores - Mateo (2014) *En otra piel - Soler Hernández (2014) *'' Cosita L ...

* Orestes Matacena * Reinaldo Miravalles *

Renny Arozarena Renny Arozarena (born 1971, in Havana) is a Cuban actor. He started acting as a child, making his professional debut on the stage in leading roles in ''Andoba'', ''Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja'', ''Romeo et Juliette'', ''Othello'', among other ...

* Rogelio Blaín * Sergio Corrieri * Tito Junco * Vladimir Cruz

Producers

Cuban films

A list of some of the more important Cuban films produced since 1959: * '' Las doce sillas'' - The Twelve Chairs (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1962) * ''

Muerte de un burócrata Muerte, Spanish for death, may refer to: Music * ''La Muerte'' (Gorefest album), 2005 * ''Muerte'', an album by Canserbero, 2012 * ''Muerte'', an album by Will Haven, 2018 People * Arturo Beltrán Leyva (1961–2009), "La Muerte", Mexican drug t ...

'' - Death of a Bureaucrat (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1966) * '' Memorias del subdesarrollo'' - Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1968) * ''Lucía'' (Humberto Solás, 1969) * '' El hombre de Maisinicú'' - The Man from Maisinicú ( Manuel Pérez (filmmaker), 1973) - entered into the

8th Moscow International Film Festival The 8th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 10 to 23 July 1973. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film '' That Sweet Word: Liberty!'' directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius and the Bulgarian film ''Affection'' directed by Lud ...

* '' De cierta manera'' - In a Certain Way (filming finished by Sara Gómez in 1973 before her death, technical work completed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea before its release in 1977) * '' La última cena'' - The Last Supper (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1976) * '' El brigadista'' - The Teacher (Octavio Cortázar, 1977) * '' Retrato de Teresa'' - Portrait of Teresa (Pastor Vega, 1979) * '' Los sobrevivientes'' - The Survivors (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1979) * '' Guardafronteras'' - Coastguards (Octavio Cortázar, 1980) * '' Crónica de una infamia'' - Chronicle of an Infamy (Miguel Torres, 1982) * '' Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta'' - Birds Shooting the Shotgun (Rolando Díaz, 1982) * ''Vampiros en La Habana'' - Vampires in Havana! ( Juan Padrón, 1983) * '' Hasta cierto punto'' - Up to a Certain Point (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, 1983) * '' Se permuta'' - House for Swap (Juan Carlos Tabío, 1984) * '' El bohío'' - The Hut (Mario Rivas, 1985) * '' De tal Pedro tal astilla'' (Luis Felipe Bernaza, 1985) * '' Clandestinos'' - Clandestines (Fernando Pérez, 1987) * '' Plaff'' - Too Afraid of Life or Splat (Juan Carlos Tabío, 1988) * '' La bella del Alhambra'' - The Beauty of the Alhambra (Enrique Pineda Barnet, 1989) * '' Strawberry and Chocolate'' - (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, 1993) * '' Cubacollage'' (Miguel Torres, 1998) * ''

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

'' - (Fernando Pérez, 1994) * '' Guantanemera'' (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, 1995) * '' La Vida es Silbar'' - Life is a Whistle (Fernando Pérez, 1998) * '' Lista de Espera'' - The Waiting List (Juan Carlos Tabío, 2000) * '' Suite Habana'' - Havana Suite (Fernando Pérez, 2003) * '' Habana Blues'' - Havana Blues ( Benito Zambrano, 2005) * ''

El Benny ''El Benny'' is a Cuban film released in 2006, directed and co-written by Jorge Luis Sánchez, his first feature-length film. It is a fictional story based on the life of the famous Cuban musician Benny Moré. It includes new versions of his so ...

'' - (Jorge Luis Sánchez, 2006) *''Los dioses rotos'' - Fallen Gods (Ernesto Daranas, 2008) * '' Memories of Overdevelopment'' - (Miguel Coyula, 2010) *'' Conducta'' - Behavior (Ernesto Daranas, 2014) *'' Sergio & Serguéi'' - Sergio & Sergei (Ernesto Daranas, 2017)

Notes

References

* Alvaray, Luisela. "National, Regional, and Global: New Waves of Latin American Cinema." ''Cinema Journal'' 47.3 (2008): 48-65. Web. 8 Mar 2010. * Aufderheide, Patricia. "Latin American Cinema and the Rhetoric of Cultural Nationalism: Controversies at Havana in 1987 and 1989." ''Quarterly Review of Film and Video'' 12.4 (1991): 61-76. Web. 8 Mar 2010. * Chanan, Michael. ''Cuban Cinema''. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2004. Print. * Davies, Catherine. "Recent Cuban Fiction Films: Identification, Interpretation, Disorder." ''BULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH'' 15 (1996): 177-192. * Lopez, Ana M. "An 'Other' History: The New Latin American Cinema." ''Radical History Review'' 1988.41 (1988): 93-116. Web. 8 Mar 2010. * Martin, Michael T., Bruce Paddington, and Humberto Solás. "Restoration or Innovation: An Interview with Humberto Solás: Post-Revolutionary Cuban Cinema." ''Film Quarterly'' 54.3 (2001): 2-13. Web. 8 Mar 2010. * Quiros, Oscar. "Critical Mass of Cuban Cinema: Art as the Vanguard of Society." John Logie Baird Center and Oxford University Press, Screen 37:3 Autumn 1996. * Stock, Ann M. "Imagining the Future in Revolutionary Cuba: Interview with Fernando Pérez." ''FILM QUARTERLY'' 60 (2007): 68-75. * Villazana, Libia. "Hegemony Conditions in the Coproduction Cinema of Latin America: The Role of Spain." ''Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media'' 49.2 (2008): 65-85. Web. 8 Mar 2010. *

External links

Top 10 movies from Cuba according to IMDB.com

Cuba Cine
Includes biographies of directors and actors as well as complete filmography with synopsis of each film.

Cuba Film Institute Founder looks back on 50 years
by Will Weissert, ''AP''
Cuban Diaspora Film Archive (CDfA)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinema Of Cuba History of film