Soy Cuba (1964)

Four vignettes about the lives of the Cuban people set during the pre-revolutionary era.

Director:

Mikhail Kalatozov (as Mijail Kalatozov)

Writers:

Enrique Pineda Barnet, Evgeniy Evtushenko (as Evgueny Evtushenko)

Stars:

Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood, José Gallardo

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

This study of Cuba--partially written by renowned poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko--captures the island just before it made the transition to a post-revolutionary society. Moving from city to country and back again, I AM CUBA examines the various problems caused by political oppression as well as by great discrepancies in wealth and power. Beginning in Havana in the pre-Castro era, we see how foreigners contributed to the city's prostitution and poverty; this sequence features dreamy, hallucinogenic camera work that creates a feeling of unease and dislocation. Then, in glorious images of palm tress and fertile land, the film looks at the sugar cane fields in the countryside, and the difficulties faced by peasants working the land. Finally, back in the city again, leftist students battle the police and a corrupt government--and pay a high price for their rebellion.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | sex | bathing beauty | title spoken by narrator | first person title | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Mr Bongo Films

Country:

Cuba Soviet Union

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Am Cuba

Filming Locations:

Habana & Cuarteles, Havana, Cuba

Box Office

Gross USA:

$160,697

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min (2005 restored Spanish) 141 min (2005 restored Spanish) 143 min (1964 original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was made when the Soviet Union sent director Mikhail Kalatozov, won the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival for his film 'The Cranes are Flying', to Cuba to make a film to celebrate the Cuban revolution. Kalatozoy arrived in Cuba the week after the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion when the revolution was still being won and Cuban people remained optimistic about their future. Filming continued on, as well, at the time of the Cuban missile crisis.

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Quotes

The voice of Cuba: I am Cuba. Your hands have gotten used to farming tools. But now a rifle is in your hands. You are not shooting to kill. You are firing at the past. You are firing to protect your future.

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Connections

Referenced in The Extra Man (2010)

User Reviews

Four beautiful stories and breathtaking cinematography.

The four segments that give us an impression of Cuba around 1960 are all very fine. I' wouldn't call this any more propagandistic than any Michael Bay Movie, far less even. It really captures the soul of Cuba that was exploited by the USA at the time and took matters back in their own hand.

I've been to Cuba last year and if the USA didn't boycott the country the Latin communism could work. But back to the movie. The cinematography is as it has been said so many times one of the best efforts ever, but it is not the only quality because the four stories are very nice and have influenced Hollywood filmmakers more than any American will like to admit.