Professional Documents
Culture Documents
National Identity in 21st-Century Cuban Cinema: Screening the Repeating Island 1st ed. Edition Dunja Fehimović full chapter instant download
National Identity in 21st-Century Cuban Cinema: Screening the Repeating Island 1st ed. Edition Dunja Fehimović full chapter instant download
https://ebookmass.com/product/screening-ulster-cinema-and-the-
unionists-richard-gallagher/
https://ebookmass.com/product/football-and-national-identity-in-
twentieth-century-argentina-la-nuestra-mark-orton/
https://ebookmass.com/product/recovering-scottish-history-john-
hill-burton-and-scottish-national-identity-in-the-nineteenth-
century-craig-beveridge/
https://ebookmass.com/product/chinese-national-identity-in-the-
age-of-globalisation-1st-ed-edition-lu-zhouxiang/
Global Health Nursing in the 21st Century 1st Edition,
(Ebook PDF)
https://ebookmass.com/product/global-health-nursing-in-the-21st-
century-1st-edition-ebook-pdf/
https://ebookmass.com/product/mediated-terrorism-in-the-21st-
century-1st-edition-elena-caoduro-editor/
https://ebookmass.com/product/corrections-in-the-21st-century-
frank-schmalleger/
https://ebookmass.com/product/couple-relationships-in-the-21st-
century-fink/
https://ebookmass.com/product/challenges-to-african-
entrepreneurship-in-the-21st-century-1st-edition-darko-opoku/
National Identity in 21st-Century Cuban Cinema
National Identity
in 21st-Century
Cuban Cinema
Screening the Repeating Island
Dunja Fehimović
School of Modern Languages
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
I would not have been able to write this book without the encouragement,
guidance, and patience of Rory O’Bryen, or the support of colleagues
and friends at the Centre for Latin American Studies at the University of
Cambridge, particularly Julie Coimbra, Geoffrey Maguire, Rachel Randall,
Joey Whitfield, Natasha Tanna, and Paul Merchant. I would also like to
thank Par Kumaraswami and Geoffrey Kantaris for their careful reading
and advice. This research would have been impossible without the sup-
port of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), or the Simón
Bolívar, Santander, and Trinity Hall College travel funds. Equally, the ideas
I have presented here would not have developed in nearly the same way
without the generosity of Ann Marie Stock, Michael Chanan, Ana López,
and Guy Baron, or the wisdom of my ‘unofficial mentor’, Rob Stone. To
my Cuban interlocutors, all my gratitude for your creative work, your
insight, your time, and your friendship: Teurbe (Osvaldo Teurbe Tolón),
Luciano Castillo, Kiki Álvarez, Alfredo Ureta, Joel del Río, Dean Luis
Reyes, Juan Antonio García Borrero, Gustavo Arcos, Taty (Mayra Álvarez
Díaz), Juan Carlos Cremata, Enrique Colina, Zaira Zarza, Marcia, Frank,
and Anabel López. Finally, my thanks go to James for his unwavering faith
and support.
An earlier version of Chapter 2 appeared as ‘Zombie Nation:
Monstrous Identities in Three Cuban Films’ in The Cinema of Cuba:
Contemporary Film and the Legacy of Revolution, Ann Marie Stock, Guy
Baron, and Antonio Álvarez Pitaluga, eds. London; New York: IB Tauris,
2017. It appears here with the permission of the editors and publisher.
vii
viii Acknowledgements
ix
x Contents
Index 271
List of Figures
Fig. 2.1 Johnny Terrori and his vampire henchmen stand in the
sunlight for the first time (Vampiros, Juan Padrón 1985) 49
Fig. 2.2 An Afro-Cuban woman propositions an ‘English’
vampire in colonial garb (Vampiros, Juan Padrón 1985) 50
Fig. 2.3 The opening shot evokes the national trauma of the Mariel
exodus (Juan, Alejandro Brugués 2011) 58
Fig. 2.4 Juan uses a telescope to survey the city, recalling Sergio in
Memorias del subdesarrollo (Juan, Alejandro Brugués 2011) 59
Fig. 2.5 A helicopter spirals into the Capitolio, destabilising the
symbolic order of the city (Juan, Alejandro Brugués 2011) 63
Fig. 2.6 Juan’s ending evokes an international comic book aesthetic
(Juan, Alejandro Brugués 2011) 69
Fig. 2.7 Pepe cannot see his vampiric reflection in the mirror
(Vampiros, Juan Padrón 2003) 72
Fig. 2.8 Watch out! The person sunbathing next to you might
turn out to be a vampire (Vampiros, Juan Padrón 1985) 74
Fig. 2.9 Juan and his friends run through a series of superstitions
in their attempt to kill the monstrous neighbour (Juan,
Alejandro Brugués 2011) 77
Fig. 2.10 The Lacanian lamella represents a primordial abyss that
swallows all identities (Juan, Alejandro Brugués 2011) 79
Fig. 3.1 The viewer’s point of view appears to align with that of the
child, but this perspective is ultimately foreclosed
(Viva Cuba, Juan Carlos Cremata 2005) 120
Fig. 3.2 Malú and Jorgito make stars shoot through the sky using
their imagination (Viva Cuba, Juan Carlos Cremata 2005) 121
xi
xii List of Figures
Fig. 3.3 Mayito and Carlos walk through La Tinta, where washing
lines visualise community connections (Habanastation, Ian
Padrón 2011) 127
Fig. 3.4 The waves threaten to swallow Malú and Jorgito at the
Punta de Maisí (Viva Cuba, Juan Carlos Cremata 2005) 137
Fig. 4.1 The deliberate framing of the characters creates an absurd
and surreal take on the family photo (Se vende, Jorge
Perugorría 2012) 155
Fig. 4.2 Recurring compositions frame living characters with
static or dead figures (Se vende, Jorge Perugorría 2012) 157
Fig. 4.3 The skeleton figurine draws our attention to the disruption
of promissory plenitude by death (Se vende, Jorge
Perugorría 2012) 158
Fig. 4.4 The theatre director’s positioning of the skull
recalls the trope of the memento mori (Se vende, Jorge
Perugorría 2012) 160
Fig. 4.5 The young Martí is punished at school (El ojo, Fernando
Pérez 2010) 167
Fig. 4.6 The film repeatedly foreshadows Martí’s eventual
imprisonment (El ojo, Fernando Pérez 2010) 167
Fig. 4.7 An escaped slave peers out at a young Martí through the
mangrove (El ojo, Fernando Pérez 2010) 174
Fig. 4.8 Martí meets the slave’s gaze, establishing a silent complicity
(El ojo, Fernando Pérez 2010) 175
Fig. 5.1 The opening shot forces viewers to experience the world
through Daniel’s eyes (La guarida del topo, Alfredo Ureta
2011) 198
Fig. 5.2 Daniel’s figurines are the only exception to his detachment
from domestic space (La guarida del topo, Alfredo Ureta
2011) 203
Fig. 5.3 A close-up of a knife slicing blood-red tomatoes tempts
viewers to read the film in the key of the horror or thriller
genres (La guarida del topo, Alfredo Ureta 2011) 204
Fig. 5.4 A low-angle shot shows Daniel’s face as he peers into the
hole that has unexpectedly appeared in his floor
(La guarida del topo, Alfredo Ureta 2011) 208
Fig. 5.5 Daniel cannot escape and is forced to gaze at the
model from his bedroom poster (La guarida del topo,
Alfredo Ureta 2011) 209
Fig. 5.6 This composition foresehadows Manuel’s immaturity
and dependence on Lía (Jirafas, Kiki Álvarez 2013) 220
List of Figures xiii
Fig. 5.7 The high-angle shot of Lía sexually serving tourists implies
a panoptic presence that oversees her sordid subjection
(Jirafas, Kiki Álvarez 2013) 237
Fig. 5.8 The use of bokeh defamiliarises outside space (Jirafas, Kiki
Álvarez 2013) 238
Fig. 5.9 Lía’s arrival at work is shot through an aquarium, lending
the locale an insalubrious glow (Jirafas, Kiki Álvarez 2013) 239
Fig. 5.10 Having exhausted physical solace, the characters will stand
alone when facing their fates (Jirafas, Kiki Álvarez 2013) 241
CHAPTER 1
1 Of course, this idea of cubanía as a very particular national sentiment has a long histor-
ical trajectory, deftly mapped out by Antoni Kapcia in Cuba: Island of Dreams (2000). As
Kapcia points out, cubanía, defined succinctly as ‘the political belief in cubanidad’ (2000:
22), is a multivocal tradition that has evolved from a competing discourse set against the
weakening ideology of Spanish colonialism to a dominant ‘cubanía rebelde’ (rebellious
cubanía) with the Revolution of 1959. The notion that cubanía not only allows for but
also often emerges from a disjunction between physical location and psychological state is
present throughout Cuba’s history, from key individuals such as priest and independence
leader Félix Varela and Cuba’s national ‘Apostle’, José Martí and important groups, such as
the US-based separatist organisations who mobilised for Cuba’s independence through the
Partido Revolucionario Cubano in 1892.
2 All translations from Spanish are my own, except where a translated edition is available.
6 D. FEHIMOVIĆ
Cosmopolitanism and the National Slot’ (Berg 2009) differentiate between waves of emi-
gration from Cuba (starting with exile, based on political opposition, and diversifying to
include predominantly economic-based emigration). There are also significant demographic
differences between the various waves, not least on a racial basis.
1 INTRODUCTION: SCREENING THE REPEATING ISLAND 7
describe how the violent encounter between cultures changed and affected all those
involved, creating something new. It thus complicated existing concepts of ‘acculturation’
and ‘deculturation’, whereby ‘weaker’ cultures were eliminated and replaced by ‘stronger’
cultures in the contact created by conquest. Ortiz departs from this insight to develop
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Merry’s Adventures.
chapter xvii.
chapter xvi.
The grotto of Pausilippo.—A dying man.—The Lazzaroni.—Weather
at Naples.—The grotta del cane.—Inhuman sport.—Subterranean
fires.—A Funeral.—Characteristics of the Neapolitans.
chapter xi.
The meeting.—Discussion.—A government adopted.—Conclusion
for the present.
The time for the meeting of the people to take measures for the
establishment of a government for the island of Fredonia, was fixed
for the day which followed the events narrated in the last chapter.
This meeting was looked forward to with intense interest, by all
parties. The men, who knew that there could be no peace or safety
in society, without government, regarded the event as likely to decide
whether the inhabitants of the island were to be happy or miserable.
The women, who were perhaps not apt to reflect upon these
things, had also learned from their experience that a government,
establishing and enforcing laws, was indispensable to the quiet and
security of society: they saw that their own lives, their freedom, their
homes, were not secure, without the protection of law. Even the
children had found that government was necessary, and these as
well as the women, were now rejoicing at the prospect of having this
great blessing bestowed upon the little community of Fredonia.
The day for the meeting arrived, and the men of the island
assembled, agreeably to the appointment. First came the men of the
tent party, and then, those from the Outcast’s cave. The latter were
greeted by a shout of welcome, and mingling with the rest, a kind
shaking of hands took place between those, who so lately were
arrayed against each other in deadly conflict.
After a short time, Mr. Bonfils, being the oldest man of the
company, called the assembly to order, and he being chosen
chairman, went on to state the objects of the assembly, in the
following words:
“My dear friends; it has been the will of Providence to cast us
together upon this lonely, but beautiful island. It would seem that so
small a community, regulated by mutual respect and mutual good
will, might dwell together in peace and amity, without the restraints of
law, or the requisitions of government. But history has told us, that in
all lands, and in all ages, peace, order, justice, are only to be
secured by established laws, and the means of carrying them into
effect. There must be government, even in a family; there must be
some power to check error, to punish crime, to command obedience
to the rule of right. Where there is no government, there the violent,
the unjust, the selfish, have sway, and become tyrants over the rest
of the community. Our own unhappy experience teaches us this.
“Now we have met together, with a knowledge, a conviction of
these truths. We know, we feel, we see that law is necessary, and
that there must be a government to enforce it. Without this, there is
no peace, no security, no quiet fireside, no happy home, no pleasant
society. Without this, all is fear, anxiety, and anarchy.
“Let us then enter upon the duties of this occasion, with a proper
sense of the obligation that rests upon us; of the serious duty which
is imposed on every man present. We are about to decide questions
which are of vital interest, not only to each actor in this scene, but to
these wives and sisters and children, whom we see gathered at a
little distance, watching our proceedings, as if their very lives were at
stake.”
This speech was followed by a burst of applause; but soon a man
by the name of Maurice arose—one who had been a leading
supporter of Rogere—and addressed the assembly as follows:
“Mr. Chairman; it is well known that I am one of the persons who
have followed the opinions of that leader who lost his life in the battle
of the tents. I followed him from a conviction that his views were
right. The fact is, that I have seen so much selfishness in the officers
of the law, that I have learned to despise the law itself. Perhaps,
however, I have been wrong. I wish to ask two questions—the first is
this: Is not liberty a good thing? You will answer that it is. It is
admitted, all the world over, that liberty is one of the greatest
enjoyments of life. My second question then is—Why restrain liberty
by laws? Every law is a cord put around the limbs of liberty. If you
pass a law that I shall not steal, it is restraint of my freedom; it limits
my liberty; it takes away a part of that, which all agree is one of the
greatest benefits of life. And thus, as you proceed to pass one law
after another, do you not at last bind every member of society by
such a multiplied web of restraints, as to make him the slave of law?
And is not a member of a society where you have a system of laws,
like a fly in the hands of the spider, wound round and round by a
bondage that he cannot burst, and which only renders him a slave of
that power which has thus entangled him?”
When Maurice had done, Brusque arose, and spoke as follows:
“Mr. Chairman; I am happy that Mr. Maurice has thus stated a
difficulty which has arisen in my own mind: he has stated it fairly, and
it ought to be fairly answered. Liberty is certainly a good thing;
without it, man cannot enjoy the highest happiness of which he is
capable. All useless restraints of liberty are therefore wrong; all
unnecessary restraints of liberty are wrong. But the true state of the
case is this: we can enjoy no liberty, but by submitting to certain
restraints. It is true that every law is an abridgment of liberty; but it is
better to have some abridgment of it, than to lose it all.
“I wish to possess my life in safety; accordingly I submit to a law
which forbids murder: I wish to possess my property in security; and
therefore I submit to a law which forbids theft and violence: I wish to
possess my house without intrusion; I therefore submit to a law
which forbids one man to trespass upon the premises of another: I
wish to go and come, without hindrance, and without fear; I therefore
submit to a law which forbids highway robbery, and all interference
with a man’s pursuit of his lawful business.
“Now, if we reflect a little, we shall readily see that by submitting
to certain restraints, we do actually increase the amount of practical,
available, useful liberty. By submitting to laws, therefore, we get
more freedom than we lose. That this is the fact, may be easily
tested by observation. Go to any civilized country, where there is a
settled government and a complete system of laws, and you will find,
in general, that a man enjoys his house, his home, his lands, his
time, his thoughts, his property, without fear: whereas, if you go to a
savage land, where there is no government and no law, there you
will find your life, property, and liberty, exposed every moment to
destruction. Who, then, can fail to see that the very laws which
abridge liberty in some respects, actually increase the amount of
liberty enjoyed by the community.”
Maurice professed himself satisfied with this solution of his
difficulties; and the meeting proceeded to appoint a committee, to go
out and prepare some plan, to be submitted to the meeting. This
committee returned, and after a short space, brought in a resolution,
that Mr. Bonfils be for one year placed at the head of the little
community, with absolute power; and that, at the end of that period,
such plan of government as the people might decree, should be
established.
This resolution was adopted unanimously. The men threw up their
hats in joy, and the air rang with acclamations. The women and
children heard the cheerful sounds, and ran toward the men, who
met them half way. It was a scene of unmixed joy. Brusque and
Emilie met, and the tears of satisfaction fell down their cheeks.
François went to his aged mother, and even her dimmed eye was
lighted with pleasure at the joyful issue of the meeting.
We must now take leave of the island of Fredonia—at least for a
time—and whether we ever return to it, must depend upon the
wishes of our young readers. If they are anxious to see how the
people flourished under the reign of their aged old chief, and how
they proceeded in after years, perchance we may lift the curtain and
show them the scene that lies behind it. But I hope that our readers
have learnt, that not only men and women, but children, have an
interest in government, and therefore that it is a thing they should try
to understand.
The Tanrec.