Cuban FilmsI Am CubaFilmed as an agitprop(artistic propaganda) joint venture between Cuban and Russian production companies Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC) and Mosfilm , financed by the Soviet government, it was written by Enrique Pineda Barnet and Yevgeni Yevtushenko and directed by Mikhail Kalatozovwith cinematography by Sergei Urusevsky. The film uses disparate poetic scenarios to depict a multi-faceted view of Cuba just before the Cuban Revolution from a viewpoint sympathetic to the revolution. Even though subsidized by both Cuba and the Soviet Union, when complete, the film was rejected by both countries, being considered not sufficiently pro-communist by the Soviets and too stereotypical by the Cubans. I Am Cuba, won a prize for technical merit in a 1964 competition in Milan but was not released in the United States until much later. Story Line of Soy CubaSoy Cuba uses four separate episodes to bring to life the authors’ interpretation of the wild contrasts in Batista-regime Cuba: the eternal beauty of the land, the frenetic and decadent American-influenced bourgeois, and the grinding poverty and exploitation of its simple people.The opening sequence begins with a lyrical introduction, panning the shoreline and following a peasant boatman down a beautiful river, backed by a single guitar accompanying a female narrator quoting Yevtushenko’s poem “I am Cuba.” The scene then abruptly shifts to an urban hotel where loud and sometimes discordant jazz backdrops a decadent hotel party. This sets the stage for the clash of proletarian vs. bourgeoisie I am Cuba uses to paint its pro-communist picture. The first two episodes of Soy Cuba describe the exploitation and destruction of the heroes (ordinary, poor and helpless country and city dwellers) by the villains (rich, capitalist landowners, industrialists and Americans looking for a good time). The final two episodes show the response – a budding revolt by the people against the corrupt and brutal Batista regime with growing support by the masses, culminating in the launch of the revolution. Artistic and Technical Elements in Cuban FilmsSoy Cuba is now widely recognized as the visually stunning, artistic masterpiece of Cuban films.Regardless of its intent or story line, it pioneered cinematographic techniques with artistic results foreshadowing and rivaling the best seen today. Kalatozov and Urusevsky sought to build on the artistic shoulders of Sergei Eisenstein, the famous originator of film montage, and used some of the same people who worked on Eisenstein’s films. A notable element in the film is the way the camera glides through scenes, building separate angles and perspective by smoothly flying up, down, past and through images that collectively build meaning without words. Filmed before the invention of the steadicam, the effect was achieved by strapping the camera to the cameraman’s chest, then using pulleys and cranes to lift and move him over, under and through scenes.
Filmed in black and white, I Am Cuba uses wide angle lenses, camera filters and infrared film to create stylish high contrast depictions of the beautiful land that transcends the struggles taking place upon it.
The soundtrack skillfully portrays the contrasts sought by the director, using jazz, night-club and folk music, alternating lyrical and discordant sounds to enhance the film’s visual images and concepts.
In 2005 a documentary called I Am Cuba: the Siberian Mammoth about the making of I Am Cuba was released. Today the original film in Spanish and in versions with and without Russian dubbing and English subtitles is available for purchase.
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