I Am Cuba (1964) Soy Cuba (original title)

Director:

Mikhail Kalatozov

Writers:

Enrique Pineda Barnet (written by) &
Yevgeni Yevtushenko (written by)

Release Date:

December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This study of Cuba--partially written by renowned poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko--captures the island just...

Plot Keywords:

Peasant | Land | Police | Student | Cuba

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sergio Corrieri	...	Alberto
Salvador Wood
José Gallardo	...	Pedro
Raúl García	...	Enrique
Luz María Collazo	...	Maria / Betty
Jean Bouise	...	Jim (in Cuban version) (as Jean Bouisse)
Alberto Morgan
Celia Rodriguez	...	Gloria (in Cuban version) (as Zilia Rodríguez)
Fausto Mirabal
Roberto García York	...	American activist
María de las Mercedes Díez
Bárbara Domínguez
Jesús del Monte		(as Isis del Monte)
Luisa María Jiménez	...	Teresa
Mario González Broche	...	Pablo (in Cuban version) (as Mario González)
Tony López
Héctor Castañeda
Rosendo Lamadriz
Roberto Villar
Roberto Cabrera
Alfredo Ávila
José Espinosa
Rafael Díaz
Isabel Moreno
Manuel J. Mora		(as Manuel Mora)
Raquel Revuelta	...	The voice of Cuba
Nina Nikitina	...	Russian text reader (Russian version) (as N. Nikitina)
Georgi Yepifantsev	...	Russian Text Reader (Russian version) (as G. Yepifantsev)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aramís Delgado	...	(uncredited)
El Duo Los Diablos	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Pepe Ramírez	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mikhail Kalatozov		(Cuban version) (as Mijail Kalatozov)

Writing credits
Enrique Pineda Barnet		(written by) &
Yevgeni Yevtushenko		(written by) (as Evgueny Evtushenko)

Original Music by
Carlos Fariñas

Cinematography by
Sergei Urusevsky		(Cuban version) (as Serguey Urusevsky)

Film Editing by
Nina Glagoleva		(as N. Glagoleva)

Production Design by
Yevgeni Svidetelev		(Cuban version) (as Evgueny Svidietelev)

Costume Design by
René Portocarrero

Makeup Department
Luz M. Cáceres	....	makeup artist
Vera Rudina	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bela Fridman	....	production manager
Maryakhin Simyon	....	production manager (Cuban version) (as S. Maryakhin: Russian version) (as Semión Mariajin)
Miguel Mendoza	....	production manager (Russian version) (as M. Mendoza)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Tanner	....	assistant director (also as G. Tanner: Russian version)
Marina Volovich	....	assistant director (Russian version) (as M. Volovich)
Oleg Zernov	....	assistant director (Russian version) (as O. Zernov)

Art Department
Luis Carrillo	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as L. Carrillo)
José Cruz	....	construction chief
Carmelina García	....	props (Russian version) (as K. García)
Francisco Labrador	....	props (Russian version) (as F. Labrador)
Elsa Mustelier	....	props (Russian version) (as E. Mustelier)
Mário Noa	....	props (Russian version) (as M. Noa)
Luis Obregón	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as L. Obregon)
René Portocarrero	....	artistic consultant
Milagros Trabas	....	props (Russian version) (as M. Trabas)
Juan Varona	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as H. Varona)

Sound Department
Rodolfo Plaza	....	sound assistant (Russian version: as R. Plaza)
Vladlen Sharun	....	sound (Russian version: as V. Sharun)

Special Effects by
Boris Travkin	....	special effects (as B. Travkin)
A. Vinokurov	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Boris Brozhovsky	....	camera operator (Russian version) (as Boris Broshovsky: Cuban version) (as B. Brozhovsky)
Alexander Calzatti	....	camera operator (Russian version) (as Alexandr Kalzaty: Cuban version) (as A. Kaltsatyj)
Guido Cantero	....	lighting technician (Russian version) (as G. Kantero)
Rolando Dovo	....	still photographer (Russian verison) (as R. Dovo)
Viktor Mikhajlov	....	lighting technician (Cuban version) (as Víctor Mijaylov)
Manuel Oropesa	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as M. Oropesa)
Manuel A. Ramírez	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as M.A. Ramirez)
Konstantin Shipov	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as K. Shipov)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carmelina García	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as K. García)
Francisco Labrador	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as F. Labrador)
Elsa Mustelier	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as E. Mustelier)
Mário Noa	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as M. Noa)
Milagros Trabas	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as M. Trabas)

Editorial Department
Lidia Tyurina	....	assistant editor (Russian version) (as L. Tyurina)
Lidia Tyurina	....	assistant editor (Cuban version) (as Lidia Tyurina)

Music Department
M. Duchesne	....	orchestra director (uncredited in the Cuban version)
Emin Khachaturyan	....	conductor (Russian version) (uncredited in the Cuban version) (as E. Khachaturyan)

Other crew
Rolando Bruguez	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as R. Bruguez)
Regino Fariñas	....	advisor (Russian version) (as Teniente Regino Fariñas: Cuban version) (as R. Farinas)
Arquímedes Fonseca	....	military advisor (Russian version) (as A. Fonseca)
Arquímedes Fonseca	....	military advisor (Cuban version) (as Capitán Arquímedes Fonseca)
Laura García	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as L. Garcia)
Pavel Grushko	....	executive in charge of translations
Saturnino Miguel	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as M. Saturnino)
Manuel J. Mora	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as M. Mora)
Rubén Negrín	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as R. Negrin)
Roberto Romay	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as R. Romay)
Jorge Rouco	....	production assistant
Konstantin Stenkin	....	production assistant (Russian version) (as Konstantin Steñkin: Cuban version) (as K. Stenkin)
Armando Suez	....	choreographer (Russian version) (as A. Sues)
Eduardo Valdés Rivero	....	production administrator
Eduardo Valdés Rivero	....	production assistant
T. Vargina	....	production assistant
Ávila	....	title designer (uncredited in Russian version)

Production Companies

• Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)
• Mosfilm

Distributors

• Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC) (1964) (Cuba) (theatrical)
• Milestone Film & Video (1995) (USA) (all media) (subtitled)
• Contact Film Cinematheek (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• trigon-film (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitles)
• Fandango (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion (????) (France) (DVD)
• Mr Bongo Films (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Oscilloscope Pictures (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Kinostudiya "Mosfilm"  production unit

Also Known As:

"Soy Cuba" - Cuba (original title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

Cuba | Soviet Union

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:18 | Italy:T (2005) | Singapore:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Cuba

Company:

Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)

Trivia:

The now famous long take that begins at the top of the hotel, then winds around and down into the swimming pool, originally come out of the water and continued. The camera was hand held, passed from crew member to crew member, to make its way down the side of the hotel into the pool. The camera lens had been equipped with a high speed, spinning glass disk taken from a submarine periscope. The spinning disk was installed to fling water drops of the lens when the camera emerged from the swimming pool at the end of the shot. Much to the disappointment of the camera crew, director Mikhail Kalatozov cut the end of the take, ending it underwater.

Quotes:

Pedro:I used to think the most terrifying thing in life is death. Now I know the most terrifying thing in life is life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Extra Man (2010)

dogmatic, but true

In talking about Cuba, people often forget about how things were under Fulgencio Batista. The Cuban-Soviet co-production "I Am Cuba" shows how things were. Throughout four vignettes, we see a Havana prostitute struggling to make ends meet, a humble farmer whose livelihood is destroyed by landowners, students fighting against the repressive police, and finally, people joining up with the revolutionary army.

The whole thing is really socialist realism: the heroic peasants rising up against the oppressive bourgeoisie and getting martyred. But, we have to admit that what "I Am Cuba" portrays is accurate. I don't know for sure whether or not things got much better after the revolution, but most Cubans certainly prefer things as they are today over how things were under Batista. Either way, the movie can also be interpreted through its camera work, showing Cuba's landscape and employing some interesting dollies.

Yes, it's propaganda, but as far as I know, conditions have improved in Cuba ever since they abolished the ladyfinger system and prosecuted Batista's thugs. This movie reminds of things in the same way that "Schindler's List" does.