SOMOS CUBA – We are Cuba
An intimate insight into the lives of 3 families in a poor neighborhood of Havana, filmed by casual worker Andres over a period of 7 years. A moving tribute to the ingenuity of Havana's underdogs on the eve of change in Cuba.
A far cry from the familiar picturesque images of Cuba, casual labourer and amateur cameraman Andres recorded everyday life in a working class neighborhood of Havana for a period of 7 years. Filmmaker Annett Ilijew smuggled piles of tapes in and out of Cuba and edited Andres' footage into a unique, intimate document that shows the reality of ordinary Cubans on the eve of change. Single father Andres points his small camera at his immediate surroundings: the family of his closest friend; the dissident couple next door that fights for political freedom; and at his own daughter and elderly aunt. We experience up-close how their lives are marked by the daily struggle for the most basic necessities against a backdrop of political indoctrination, the retreat into niche cultures, and the pursuit of small, private moments of happiness.
