Research

1. INTRODUCTION: AN OVERLOOKED CINEMA

For years, Cuban cinema produced outside of the island has been systematically overlooked by film scholars, in contrast to the attention given to literature and fine arts. The history of Cuban cinema has been limited to films made on the island after the Revolution, neglecting any film made independently from official institutions. This neglect can be attributed to a variety of factors, including politics, ignorance of films produced overseas, rejection of low-budget independent film aesthetics, and an outdated territorial approach. Recently, film critics like Ana López, Antonio García Borrero, Zaira Zarza, Alejandro Ríos, and Dean Luis Reyes have been discussing these aspects of film production.

Today, Cuban film production abroad is vast and of high quality, exceeding the institutional cinema made on the island. This is not surprising, given that the increasing displacement of Cuban filmmakers for over six decades reflects a broader reality in the country. Film professionals have not been an exception to this reality, with more than 16% of the Cuban population estimated to reside outside their country. Despite being produced outside of Cuba, the cinema of the diaspora carries the codes of what is Cuban, integrated into a cosmopolitan and globalized industry.

The audiovisual panorama of the Cuban diaspora is marked by increasing diversity, including themes, reaffirmations, readaptations to new cultures, personal concerns, contradictions, and social practices. It finds a channel in their films, which show a strong cultural hybridization. Cuban studies and film criticism owe an outstanding debt to Cuban diaspora filmmakers, whose work increasingly resembles what many young people on the island are doing independently. However, there are still prejudices and suspicions at institutional and academic levels that need to be overcome. Big budgets are no longer necessary to make films, and the digital revolution has democratized access to filmmaking, resulting in a productive and creative independent cinema production that far exceeds institutional cinema production.

Therefore, it is essential to focus on the film production of the Cuban diaspora for research on cinema to better understand new cultural configurations of Cuban identity. Without such interventions, the history of Cuban cinema will continue to remain incomplete.

2. OBJECTIVES

• Investigating Cuban exile and diaspora’s audiovisual productions.
• Building the most comprehensive information repository on Cuban Diaspora Cinema.
• Recording Cuban Diaspora filmmakers’ experiences through multimedia interviews.
• Disseminating information about diasporic filmmakers.
• Facilitating global discussions about Cuban diaspora films.
• Engaging in scholarly dissemination through various platforms, including a proposed online journal (CDfAreview) and a biennial virtual symposium (CDfAforum)
• Creating additional events and platforms to continue and expand this project.

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Our inquiries focus on:

• The evolution of Cuban diaspora cinema since 1959.
• The shifting meaning of “diaspora” and its reflection in cinema.
• Identity markers in Cuban Diaspora films.
• The portrayal of diasporic emotions like trauma, nostalgia, and loss.
• Challenges of identity and integration in diasporic cinema.
• The integration of Diaspora cinema into Cuban national identity.

4. RESEARCH STAGES

1. Filmmakers Database: Compiling information on nearly two hundred diasporic Cuban filmmakers.
2. Interviews: Conducting comprehensive interviews to gather filmmakers’ stories.
3. Data Analysis: Utilizing interview data for various research outputs.
4. Spanish version: Translating content to cater to Spanish-speaking audiences.
5. Advisory Board: Establishing oversight with semi-annual reporting.
6. CDfAforum: Organizing an online symposium on the Cinemas of the Cuban Diaspora.
7. CDfAreview: Integrating an online journal into the portal.
8. External Grants Application: Applying for grants to enhance the portal.
9. Future related projects: Envisioning new initiatives, including an itinerant film festival, awards, local events, and academic courses.