Operatic, hot-tempered crime drama and gung-ho military action are on tap in the Minnesota Cuba Committee's second annual Cuban Film Festival. The series, presenting winners from the 2010 Latin American Film Festival in Havana , includes five feature films and a documentary. While the films are notably short on criticism of the Castro regime, they offer a rare glimpse at a nation that's very near yet dauntingly distant. Screenings are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Anthony Main Theatre. All films are subtitled in English.
The festival opens Feb. 24 with "Kangamba," a battlefield story about Cuban troops fighting South African-backed insurgents in Angola. The convoluted political dynamics of the 1980s struggle are ignored in favor of screaming MIGs, trench warfare and heavy-breathing romance between Cuban veteran Mario and African beauty Maria. Made with the aid of the Cuban military, the film ends on a surprisingly pacifist note.
"Lisanka," screening Mar. 3, is a comic romantic triangle set during the Cuban missile crisis, with a new Russian arrival chasing the avidly sought-after Lisanka, the prettiest girl on the island. California filmmaker Saul Landau's documentary "Will The Real Terrorist Please Stand Up," Mar. 10, uses interviews and archival footage to tell the story of the fruitless 40-year U.S. campaign to undermine Fidel Castro. The tone shifts to fervid melodrama in "Fallen Gods," a tragic romance set in the subculture of Havana pimps, prostitutes and transvestites. The film is a modern-day retelling of the legend of Alberto Yarini, the most famous Cuban pimp at the turn of the 20th century, who now is regarded as a symbol of national pride. With its overheated music-video visuals, it's history recast as a steamy bodice-ripper. "Pages from Mauricio's Diary," Mar. 24, examines Cuba's situation '90s as a 60-year-old examines episodes of his life as if they were chapters in a diary. On Mar. 31 it's "Van Van Fever," a feature-length doc about Cuba's most popular dance orchestra. Wear your dancing shoes; there's a closing reception with live music from Cubania at Vic's restaurant, adjacent to the theater. Each film features post-screening discussions facilitated by local artists and college faculty. Admission: $7; $20 for a four- film pass; $30.00 for a six- film pass. Tickets sold at the door. For further information, visit www.minnesotacubacommittee.org or call (763) 228-2899.
