The Miami Film Festival’s Cuban Cinema Series re-premieres The Other Cuba (1983), a documentary by Orlando Jiménez Leal, a key figure in independent exile cinematography.
Regarding the film’s motivation, Jiménez Leal has explained that he sought to show that there was “another Cuba outside of Cuba, one that did not correspond to the ridiculous stereotypes that existed, and that the Castro regime continues to create about the exiles.”
Forty-two years later, the documentary’s relevance is remarkable. Jiménez Leal once again demonstrates his unique talent for weaving timeless stories about the Cuban drama, making use of all the ingenuity and expressive resources the documentary genre offers.
The Other Cuba stands among the earliest works of the Cuban diaspora devoted to reconstructing the memory of exile—a chronicle of the unnatural regime that shaped the lives of several generations. Upon its premiere in Miami, critic Bill Cosford wrote: “The Other Cuba is the most effective film to date on the tragedy of the Cuban revolution.”
The documentary offers a unique opportunity to see and hear influential Cuban cultural and political figures, including Lydia Cabrera, Enrique Labrador Ruiz, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Reinaldo Arenas, Eloísa Lezama Lima, Carlos Franqui, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and Huber Matos, among many others.
Orlando Jiménez Leal, director of classics such as PM, El Súper (co-directed with León Ichaso), Improper Conduct (co-directed with Néstor Almendros) and 8-A, will attend the presentation and take part in a conversation with the audience following the screening.
Tickets
Friday January 237pm