LATIN AMERICA-CULTURE: National Music Leading Actor in Film Festival

By Dalia Acosta Reprint | | Print |

Dalia Acosta

HAVANA, Dec 12 1996 (IPS) - A documentary exploring Cuban music — “I am from the Sun to the Salsa” — has stirred some of the strongest positive reactions during the XVIII Festival of New Latin American Cinema now underway here.

Spirited applause greeted the screening of the feature-length film. And there was dancing and even tears from the audience when at one point one of the legends of Cuban music, Celia Cruz, performed along with Benny More and Miguel Matamores.

Cruz’ songs are banned in Cuba because of their anti-government tone but the singer made an appearance from a stage in the United States singing the same famous melodies and declaring that salsa was the heart of Cuban music.

In ‘Granma’, the official Communist Party daily, critic Rolando Perez de Betancourt welcomed the documentary as a “happy” decision to tell history “in an integrated way.”

According to Perez Betancourt “I am from the sun to the salsa” (Yo soy del sol a la salsa) by director Rigoberto Lopez, with a script by writer Leonardo Padura, “should come dancing out of this festival with a Coral prize hung around its neck.”

Favourable comments about the documentary have been circulating by word of mounth during the Havana festival — partially reflecting how unhappy people were with what they saw in the feature sections.

The Festival is a hit. Queues form before cinemas shoiwing the pictures in the morning and continue late into the night. Havana is experiencing a cultural rebirth despite the economic crisis the country has been living through for the past six years.

“What I most enjoy in the Havana festivals is to see some Latin American film or other, with the Cuban spectators. They are very wide awake, active, they comment on it and practically converse during the film in the cinema,” said Peruvian scriptwriter Augusto Cabada.

The XVIII Festival of New Latin American Cinema opened on Dec. 3 with the presentation of the film “A Song for Carla,” by the British producer Ken Loach, one of those honoured during the event.

Considered one of the most important Latin Americn cultural events, the Festival also paid homage to Cuban film director Tomas Gutierrez Alea, who died this year, and Mexican photographer Gabriel Figueroa.

“The support exhibitions attract a greater public than the films being shown,” said Dixie Edith, reporter on the cultural page of “Juventud Rebelde”, the Young Communists’ Union publication.

“Each year is is more difficult to predict which films may win a prize,” said Edith. The Cuban public, exposed to Latin Amearican films for 18 years, has set high standards.

The possibility that new Latin American cinema as a genre is going through a crisis or transition phase was the leading issue on the minds of people during last year. That theme was present again this year. A marked reduction of co-productions was noted by some critics, who said Latin American film-makers needed to find a niche in the market.

Prizes to be announced on Dec. 13 could easily go to “I am from the sun to the salsa” and “Deep Carmesi” (Profundo Carmesi), a film by the Mexican director Arturo Ripstein which has split the critics into passionate defenders and heated attackers of the production.

A warm welcome has also been given to “Under the skin” (Bajo la piel) by the Peruvian director, Francisco Lombardi, “Kisses on the forehead” (Besos en la frente), by the Argentine Carlos Galletini, and “Tieta of Agreste” (Tieta de Agreste), by the Brazilian Carlos Dieguez, based on a novel by Jorge Amado.

Argentine director Eliseo Subiela was a disappointment. His film “Wake up love” (Despabilate amor), the tale of a group of friend who meet again after many years of separation, was not well received.

Subiela, whose films have a great following in Cuba, was also criticised in the last Havana festival for his “Where are you love of my life for I can’t find you” (Donde estas amor de mi vida que no te puedo hallar).

And the biggest shortcoming of the feature film section of the festival was the absence of the host country. For the first time ever not one of the films in production in Cuba was finished in time to be shown.

However, the Cuban people do not seem too upset. Going to the cinema to see whatever is on show, but to see a lot, has become an obsession amongst the islanders, who play truant from school, miss work and even ask for holidays in order to attend.