Dreaming of a Nation
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(Courtesy of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive)
Conversation between Lázaro J. González and Nils Longueira Borrero, after the first selection of short films from "Cuban Cinema without Borders", in the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, on October 26, 2024.
As González highlighted in the curatorial note, this first selection of Cuban contemporary short films offers a profound exploration of Cuba’s culture of resistance. Among the films screened that night were Now!, which revisits Santiago Álvarez’s eponymous piece by shifting the focus from racial struggles in the United States to the state violence against Cuban citizens dissenting in public demonstrations. Continuing Eliecer Jiménez Almeida’s gaze, Persona captures five intimate stories of survival and resistance against a totalitarian regime. From a less realistic perspective, Casa de la noche immerses us in the spirit of Havana, revealing a utopian and melancholic vision amid the city’s degradation. Similarly, Tundra’s dystopic story examines the paralyzing impact of fear and unfulfilled desires in Cuba. Finally, Ana A. Alpizar’s fictional piece offers a hilarious register that situates us in the barely represented stories of those who left Cuba to pursue the American dream.
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