I was super excited to cover this event because while in Cuba this past fall, I tried desperately to find films that were written and directed by Cubans. Sadly, there wasn’t any at the time and the day I left, there was to be one film directed by a Cuban shown in a local theater far from where I was staying. When I heard there was a Havana Festival in New York, I reached out right away to make sure I could attend! To my surprise, the festival not only included films from Cuba but all over Latin America! So let me take you through the start of the event and then we will talk about the movies that I loved the most.
The Havana Film Festival New York kicked off its 20th year and I was front and center on the red carpet as directors and actors showed up for the premiere of Arturo Infante’s film, “El Viaje Extraordinario de Celeste Garcia.” After just a short while outdoors, it started to rain, so they moved the red carpet inside where the crowds were waiting with excitement. I got pushed around from a few big guys with their big cameras who yelled a lot telling the directors to “look here!” “Yes, right at the camera.” One had the nerve to look down at me and ask if I was a reporter. I grabbed my press badge that was around my neck and I said, “yes, are you?” He showed me his badge and I sarcastically said “oh look, we have matching press badges” and that ended that conversation. I had both my cell phone and digital camera, hand raised in the air to the left over some woman’s head trying to get great photos as soon as the directors walked out and I did, they came out beautiful.
After the red carpet scene was over, I went inside to see the film. I snagged a great seat front and center, got comfortable and out came the presenter to talk about the festival. There was a ton of thanks to the sponsors, founder and everyone who made this special event come together, then the movie began. When it ended I quickly gathered my things, hopped over about 7 people, tripped over a bag and made it to the bathroom before the line started. It was a great opening to the festival, tons of energy, happy people, pushy people but mostly excitement. With so many films to choose from, I couldn’t see them all, although I wish I could. I narrowed it down to the following that I absolutely loved and you have to see them. I had the best time at this festival and I will definitely be back next year.
DOCUMENTARIES
“Las Cruces” by Teresa Arredonado Lugon/Chile
In September of 1973, 19 employees at a paper mill company who were said to be potential threats to the government, were arrested and never seen alive again. Years later the bodies were discovered and throughout the film, each officer’s testimony accounts their version of what really occurred the night of the murders. According to the statements given by those involved in the slaughtering of these 19 men, they claimed to be following strict orders from the lieutenant. The information was told differently by each officer but the most important details were similar.
It was stated that the police were given a list of the men at the paper company who were considered to be potential terrorists. They were to arrest these men and ordered to “get rid of them.” The families were told the men were going to be transferred to Los Angeles but they were not, instead they were put in a van and taken to a dark road and executed like animals. After the men were shot and killed, the bodies were placed in a secluded area, but within days they started to decompose and there were complaints of the terrible odor so the officers went back to properly bury the bodies in a cemetery. The police officers were warned not to reveal any details about that night but years later they finally broke their silence. Many people, including the families of the victims, created crosses and placed them in the various places to honor their lives that were taken. This was one of the best documentaries I’ve seen because it tells a story of how easily human life is devalued. It also reveals how the justice system failed and continues to fail. This case happened in 1973 and still, in 2019, there is not one person has been arrested or held accountable for the murders of these men. Very disturbing, powerful and beautifully told.
“El Camino de Santiago” by Trisan Bauer/Argentina
A powerful documentary about activist Santiago Maldonado who traveled to southern Argentina to learn the culture and help the Mapuche Indigenous community fight for their land. He became a close friend to everyone in the community over time, helping and healing others. He was known as a generous human being, full of life and a great writer and artist. He immersed himself in the culture and wanted to help the people take back their land. At one of the protests, he took part in a roadblock where police attacked and everyone ran towards the Chaut river and were never seen again. His disappearance created an outpour of protests that went global. The people demanded his return, saying that he was unwillingly taken in custody by police. The police denied the allegations but the case escalated to a political level with everyone unified demanding people in office who ordered the attack to be accountable. For two months everyone searched for Santiago believing he was captured and hoping he was still alive. His body turned up in the very river that had been searched over five times and never found. This is one of those documentaries that evoked such strong emotions, from the history of the indigenous to how their land invaded and robbed to how they tried to take back and preserve their history down to the murder of a passionate, giving man who only wanted to help and ended up losing his life unnecessarily. I thought about this film continuously for days after.
“Lejos de Sentido” by Olivia Luengas/Mexico
This incredibly powerful documentary takes an in-depth look at one woman’s journey of what it feels like to live with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Liliana, who was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, then schizophrenia. Although she seems to be in control of her life, she has many inner struggles that have resulted in many suicide attempts by overdosing on prescription pills. Seemingly happy, underneath, she is constantly trying not to lose control, which she states is her biggest fear. She says sometimes she feels everything so intensely andsometimes she feels absolutely nothing at all. The opening scene is so powerful because there are many volcanos that Liliana sees while driving and the volcanos become a main undertheme within the film. They have such strong symbolism in the way she feels trying not to fall apart but sometimes the volcano does erupt. So many beautiful flashbacks to her painful childhood and the ugly voices in her head that tell her how unworthy she is and how ugly she is are so frightening, they are loud and so profound at times and then they go away. We can only imagine what it is like to live feeling like a caged animal, at times trying to maintain sanity, I believe this film does a great job at truthfully putting a spotlight on mental disorders. For each person, it is different, mostly not violent and outrageous the way we see them portrayed on television, but they are definitely a day to day struggle.
“Entre un Tango y Danzon” by Marta N. Bautis/USA/Cuba
This beautiful documentary takes you through the history and cultural influences of both dance styles, Tango and Danzon. This movie explains how Tango arrived in Cuba around the 1930s when introduced through old Argentine cinema and ever since had an immense influence on the dance style called Danzon. We get to see old clips of many legendary Tango singers like Barbarito Diez and Paulina Alvarez plus interviews with people who practice the two dance styles. I really enjoyed the history of dance and interviews of so many people in Cuba are in love with it. Many say that they are drawn to the sensuality, emotions, connection that it brings to couples. If you love music and dance, you are definitely going to enjoy this documentary and I have to tell you, this film had the biggest crowd of all the films I saw at this festival. So many music and dance lovers came out to see this and it was truly amazing.
“The Council Woman” by Margo Guernsey/USA
Hotel housekeeper Carmen Castillo wins a city council seat and fights to change minimum wage laws for hotel cleaners. Carmen’s personal life is put to the test when she decides to take on both her political life, working as a housekeeper at a hotel at night and trying to maintain a home life with her new husband. The minimum wage for hotel workers is reported to be around $9 which is not enough money to earn a decent living and take care of a family. Carmen tries to raise the wage to $15 per hour plus lower taxes for low-income families. As she struggles to get votes, she deals with discrimination and others not taking her seriously because she is a Latina female. Carmen doesn’t give up and finally wins her first election but her family life falls apart as a result. This is a great documentary about fighting for what you believe no matter where you come from. It is also about believing in yourself, coming together as a community and creating changes that will affect many lives in the future. I thought this was a very inspirational film that proves women of color can be dedicated and make a difference in their community.
FICTION
“El Viaje Extraordinario de Celeste Garcia” by Arturo Infante/Cuba
This was a funny and beautifully written movie about a retired teacher named Celeste who works at a science planetarium teaching people about the stars. One day, she looks out the window and thinks she sees strangers from another planet visiting her neighbor Polina, who eventually disappear. Shortly after, there is an announcement on the news confirming that there is another planet where life exists. Anyone willing to go must enter a lottery and a select few will be chosen. Celeste wants to go and start a new life that stems from an abusive past with her late husband. After being chosen, she packs her bags, and along with many others, she is bussed to a holding area which happens to be an old high school campus. Everyone is separated into groups and has to live in a room together until the ship arrives. She meets some really fun and interesting people along the way including a musician, a pregnant woman who’s baby can already speak and the local butcher who shows romantic interest in her. By the end of the film, there are lessons about not having to leave your own planet to start a new life. A very sweet, lighthearted fantasy film. You’re going to love this one.
“Retablo” by Alvaro Delgado Aparicio/Peru/Germany/Norway
Segundo is the teenage son of a highly respected artisan who creates custom figurines of people and sells them at the local market. Segundo admires and looks up to his father and works every day alongside him with the hopes of one day becoming as great. One day on the way to the market, he witnesses a sexual act between his father and the man driving them to the market and from that moment on, his life changes forever. Emotionally scarred by the event, Segundo becomes distant and quiet towards his parents, never confronting his father. When his father comes home one day nearly beaten to death, Segundo runs to a neighbor friend to beg for help at the request of his mother. Instead of helping, the neighbor assures Segundo that his father got what he deserved because of his inappropriate behavior of sleeping around with men. Segundo returns home and instead of confessing the secret, he lies to his mother stating that he couldn’t find help. When she leaves to seek help on her own, she returns having found out everything and packs up to leave. Segundo remains at home staying loyal to his father and never scolds him nor demands an explanation for his actions. He receives ridicule from the locals and even gets beaten up but he overcomes it and keeps moving on. I have to admit, the story started off slow but transformed into by far one of my favorites because it showed such strong lessons about compassion, unconditional love, and loyalty. A great storyline and a very strong cast.
“Clandestinos” By Fernandez Perez/Cuba
A group of revolutionaries put their lives at risk fighting against Batista and their secret service during the late 1950s in Cuba. After being tortured and imprisoned, Ernesto is finally set free with the help of his sister and friends. They plot yet another protest, putting explosives in a manhole where a shootout begins with the police. Ernesto, still in the manhole, gets hurt when the explosive goes off and some of his buddies are shot and killed in the incident. While in the hospital, the nurse who takes good care of him ends up becoming not only an ally but his girlfriend. After a huge stunt of stealing firearms and ammunition, a police officer spots the situation and calls for backup. Soon, it turns into a shootout and although Ernesto escapes, a few of his friends die in the midst of it. After going into hiding with his girlfriend, the police are tipped off about their whereabouts, surround his place and open fire, forcing them to surrender. Ernesto and his girlfriend do not give in that easily and the ending will have you amazed. The actors were absolutely fantastic, truly brilliant and I love a good revolutionary story. This is the very first film by Fernando Perez and he did an amazing job.
“El Motoarrebatador” by Agustin Toscano/Argentina/Uruguay/France
Miguel makes money snatching purses while on his motorbike but when a woman named Elena gets badly hurt, he feels guilty and tries to make amends with her. Miguel and his accomplice snatch a woman’s purse and she holds on for dear life, dragging her in the street. Assuming that she is dead, Miguel begins to feel remorse. He goes back to where they dumped her wallet and he takes her identification and asks around to see if she has been admitted into any hospitals. When he does find her, she is in terrible condition and can’t even remember her own name. Miguel takes advantage of the situation and pretends to be a tenant renting a room in her home. While she has been in the hospital, he has obtained the keys from her purse and moved into her home.
Over time, Miguel becomes the only one to visit and help her and she eventually begins to trust him. The story takes a turn for the worst when Miguel tells his accomplice that he doesn’t want to snatch purses on the bike anymore, that he’d rather be on foot. That does not go over well with his partner in crime and he ends up following Miguel to her home one day and revealing to Elena that he was responsible for her accident. This film was great to watch and the ending will surprise you. This was one of my favorites at the festival.
SHORTS
“Cuban Wave Riders” by Liz Magee/USA 20 min. Documentary
This was a great short about four guys who share the stories of their love of surfing in Cuba. There aren’t many who surf in Cuba, the water is considered too calm with little to no waves but these four guys have found hidden places where they surf the best waves in Cuba. They each account growing up in the water and having an instant spiritual connection to the ocean and once learning to surf have never stopped. The surfing scenes are captivating, just beautiful to watch. The Cuban beaches are breathtaking, just a really beautiful story.
“Lesson #8” by Alberto Ferreras/ USA/Venezuela/Spain 5 min. Fiction
Two guys hook up from a dating app and finally get real with each other about who they really are versus what their profiles say. This is such a fun experience because it is so refreshing to see someone finally take off the mask. In this day in age of social media, filters, fake profiles and pretending your life is so much better than it is, this film finally draws back the curtain and the two guys reveal what they actually like and dislike about their sexual experiences. Every single person in the theater was laughing. This will literally be the best five minutes of your day.
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