Wed 4 Nov 2009
Professor Diane Soles of the Sociology Department at UW-Whitewater sees Cuban film taking a new direction. Dr. Soles is a specialist in Cuban film and has conducted research in the Cuban Film Institute in Havana. She offered her perspective on Cuban film past and present during our Latin America seminar on Nov. 4.
The Cuban Film Institute (Instituto cubano del arte y industria cinematograficas) was an early part of the new revolutionary state put in place under Fidel Castro in 1959. The institute did what it was designed to do. That is, it promoted and controlled a type of film that contrasted with Hollywood by challenging an audience to think, by focusing on the collective rather than the individual, and by bringing film to everyone including the poor. One example of films in the heyday of the institute in the 1960s were those by the late director Tomas Gutierrez Alea, such as “Memories of Underdevelopment” or the comedy “Death of a Bureaucrat”.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 when Cuba entered an economic crisis, the resources of the institute have collapsed and a new group of filmmakers rely on foreign funding. This means that many newer films operate farther outside the umbrella of the state. Two new directors and examples of their work are Pavel Giroud and his film “La edad de la peseta” and Alejandro Brugués and “Personal Belongings”.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
When I saw the beginning of the movie, I thought that it was going to be a sad one. So I was prepared to watch it. I took down some notes from the movie.
It was about this man named Oscar who tried to help everybody in his landtown. He became ill and then became bishop of the town. So he became the archbishop of El Salvador. The movie was also about imperialism.
The powerpoint was about the Cold War from 1947-1991. It described having an oligarchy which subsidised a “La Catorce” which means 14. It also described saying that Romero died in Jan of 1980. Their town was not in a good shape. The Civil War ended in UN by the Brokered Peace Accords and ended in 1992.
When the three main people died in the car crash, Oscar decided to bury them together so that everyone in the town would know that they died. They had their mass in the cathederal instead of the church where everyone would be able to come. The three main people who died were a priest, a little boy and another man.
It is sad that the military wouldn’t them cross and come to vote for the archbishop placement. The military shot thier busses down and gave them flat tires because they didn’t want them to pass.
Why did that those military men have to be so mean? I wonder what happened to the end of the movie because I left early because I was not feeling well.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Diane Soles is a very knowledgeable woman on Cuba and the Cuban Film Institutes. Diane gave a lot of background information on Cuba and her own journey’s, which painted a clear picture on this “forbidden place.”
Cuba is a very different country from the United States in countless ways. One main difference is the film industry. In a United States movie, produced by Hollywood the outcome is very predictable. In almost every movie it ends with a happy predictable ending. The reason for this is because Hollywood and the United States have this image of a movie. When we attend, “we escape reality,” and do not want to deal with what could actually happen. Almost always you will find the movies with the best reviews are the one’s with a “happy ending.”
Cuba has a different outlook on their film industry. Their films have been proven that we do not live in a so-called “perfect world.” They do not charge a lot of money to attend a film, so attendance is relatively high. Cubans are also very passionate about their films. Diane said that during a movie, Cubans do not hold back on their emotions and may even stand up in the film and yell or shout.
Before 1990, Cuba showed movies from all over the world. The reason that Cuba showed different movies was because they were easy to import and the audience is much more “cosmopolitan” than in the United States. They also have many subtitles on their movies. In the United States, many people do not want to go and see a movie if they have to read subtitles.
Diane Soles showed various photos of her trips as well as video clips of some films made by the Cuban Film Industry. It was very evident that what she had told us about the films was very true.
My question for Diane was why she had not been back to Cuba since 2003?
Diane stated that it was because of the Bush Administration. The reason for this was because the Bush Administration had put a hold on travelers from the United States because they thought an evil government ran it.
I related Diane Soles back to Alma Guillermoprieta. Alma talked about how Mexico should stay in its authentic culture and should not conform to United States customs. I feel like the United States and Cuba feel the same way. The United States is independent as well as Cuba is independent. Cuba has its own way about its film industry and wants to be unique from the United State’s Film Industry.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:46 am
In Professor Soles’ presentation she presented us with many different parts of Cuban film. She showed us how film in Cuba is a vital part of their culture. Many recognized the effects of Cuban film were a greater grasp of critical thinking, reducing social struggles and reinforced the idea of the individual. Because of this great cultural importance the Cuban Film Institute was founded in 1959. The revolution believed culture is an important part of society, thus fore causing many Cubans to become impassioned about films and being considered to be very cosmopolitan. Attending these films was very easy for Cubans because of the very low prices to get in; many films showed were from all over the world. Viewing films from all over the world requires a necessity for subtitles which many believe helps reinforce the literacy rate in Cuba, which is very high. In 1961, a Literacy Campaign came about. This campaign took people who already knew how to read to teach those who do not, which greatly increased the literacy rate in Cuba.
One thing I was very interested in during Professor Soles’ presentation was how she became interested in Cuban Film. As a sociologist, she chose a very good topic to relate the Cuban film to Cuban culture and society; I am just curious how this topic came about.
Another important role played in the Cuban culture is religion, which we talked about in class on 10/28. A main religion in Cuba is Santeria, brought over by African slaves. Considering Cuba got the vast majority of African slaves during the slave trade, about 700,000 slaves, the Afro-Latino Religion of Santeria is very widespread throughout Cuba.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I messed up before. For these notes I learned that…
From the cuban film, Diane Soles said that it was the 50th Anniversary since 1959. She said that the audience is seemed to think critically.
Diane Soles made a comment on the movie Pursuit of Happiness. She meant to explain that not all poor people can do what Will Smith did in that movie.
It costs little for Cubans to see a movie. Diane Soles said that they actually go to the movies. Since 1990, Cubans were showing movies from all over the world. Americans can talk to Cubans to a variety of movies. Cuban films also have the subtitles in them. Americans can opt out from choosing a movie with the subtitles. An interesting fact that I found out is that theatres have declined by either 2/3 or by half. In movies you can actual swear and there is frontal obscenity/nudity in them. That was shocking to hear.
Also it was interesting to hear that it is illegal to go to Cuba. You need to get permission from Treasury Department. They want your money.
Diane also said that health care is very important and is free. But medicine is very expensive.
Another thing that she described was that Cubans are very athletic and the sports that they are very athletic in are: boxing, baseball and track and field. All those sports have improved.
She explained that there are challenges today which are: new technology, new themes and how to train new directors.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
My question for Diane Soles was how many times have you been to Cuba?