NEW CUBA DVD RELEASE: They would all be Queens AMI - Cuba Media Project (AMI – CMP) is focused on the distribution of independent and community media from Cuba and developing cultural exchange projects between Cuban and US citizens. AMI - CMP is playing an important role both in Cuba and the US. In Cuba AMI – CMP is providing young, emerging filmmakers with an educational distributor that is marketing their work in the US and providing them with an income from the sales. In the US, AMI – CMP is organizing Cuban filmmaker tours and making their independent work available to universities and individuals who previously could only access this material through direct contact with the filmmakers or pirated copies. AMI - Cuba Media Project is pleased to announce the release of Gustavo Pérez's feature documentary; They would all be Queens. Gustavo Pérez is a documentary filmmaker, photographer and poet based in Camaguey, Cuba who has produced numerous documentary films. They would all be Queens shares the stories of several Soviet women who married Cubans in the 1980’s and moved to Cuba. They would all be Queens was released in 2006, but has not been available in the US until now. For more information, contact us at [log in to unmask] THEY WOULD ALL BE QUEENS (Todas iban ser reinas) Directed by: Gustavo Pérez Spanish with English sub-titles 2006, 55 min. The stories of several Soviet women living in or around Camaguey, Cuba who married Cuban men and moved to Cuba in the 1980s before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union fell and Cuba entered “The Special Period” where food and all other goods became scarce if non-existant these women found themselves trapped in a situation they could have never imagined. They would all be Queens provides a unique insight into the fall-out of a geo-political relationship forged during the Cold War and the individuals whose lives were deeply affected by it. NEW DVD RELEASE Cuban Animations from the Young Directors Film Festival (Spanish with English Subtitles) These eight short animations have been screened at the Muestra Joven (Young Directors) Film Festival in Havana, Cuba. The Festival began in 2001 and is recognized as the most important showcase for young cinematic talent in Cuba. Cuban animation is world renown and even though many of these young animators don't have access to the latest technology they are still able to produce interesting, provocative and aesthetically beautiful works. 8 Formas de Enfermar / 8 Ways to Get Sick (Leandro de la Rosa), 4 min., 2009 Como Desaparecer completamente /How to Completely Disappear (Harold Rensoli), 3 min., 2009 El Traje / The Suit (Abdel and Adrián de la Campa), 5 min., 2010 La Revancha / The Revenge (Ivette Ávila), 3 min, 2009 Tic Tac / Tick Tock (Alien Ma Alfonso), 6 min., 2008 Niños imaginarios / Imaginary Boys (Alien Ma Alfonso), 4 min., 2010 La Costurera / The Seamstress (Ivette Ávila), 6 min., 2010 Comunidades Modernas/Modern Communities (Lester Harbert Noguel), 3 min., 2008 NEW DVD RELEASE New Comedy Shorts from Cuba (Spanish with English Subtitles) Dany and the Nerds Club Director: Victor Alfonso 25:37, 2010 A comical animation on the universal theme of the nerdy guy in high school falling in love with the beautiful girl and how his goofy friends try and help him win her heart. Committee 666 Director: Arturo Infante 17:12, 2010 A hilarious look at the CDR (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution) #666, a Satan worshipping CDR where it’s members are in preparation for the arrival of the anti-Christ who is searching the world for a virgin bride. A Bridge over the River (Un Puente sobre el Rio) Director: Rigoberto Jiménez, Spanish with English subtitles, 30 minutes, 2009 In the middle of Cuba’s central mountains lives Lency, a man with no limits on his inventiveness and creativity – he has a solution for everything – the lack of transportation, electricity, domestic labor, etc. He is a regular family guy but he does things a little bit differently, figures out ways to deal with daily problems and helps out his neighbors in tough times. Alabbá Directed by Eliezer Pérez Angueira, Spanish with English subtitles, 40 minutes, 2010 Alabbá looks at the fascinating history of Santería and how its historic roots have transformed into a contemporary religion in modern day Cuba. Alabbá focuses on three women of African descent who arrived in Cuba in the 19th century, tracing their influence on the development of Santería. The documentary includes interviews with current practitioners and historians. Zone of Silence (Zona de Silencio) Directed by Karel Ducasse, Spanish with English subtitles, 40 minutes, 2007 Five Cuban intellectuals that live on the island, a filmmaker, a musician, two writers and a university professor, discuss censorship as a historical, political and social phenomenon. Their discussion is about the limits that this scourge has provoked in artistic creation throughout time and throughout the world. Interviewed are: Fernando Perez, Filmmaker; Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, Poet and journalist; Fran Delgado, Musician; Antón Arrufat, Playwright, writer, journalist; Gustavo Arcos, Film Historian and critic. VIEW CLIP The Infinite Island (La Isla Infinita) Director: Rigoberto Jiménez, Spanish with English subtitles, 2011 A peasant takes a long and difficult journey over the mountains of the Sierra Maestra to buy a new mule, a absolute necessity for his life and fundamental part of his identity. This is a journey that has been repeated for generations. This is a journey that often transcends its original purpose and becomes a metaphor for describing a process, time, the never- ending search. Filmmaker Rigoberto Jiménez mixes documentary and fiction to tell this enduring story of life in the Sierra Maestra mountains of Cuba. Race (Raza) Director: Eric M. Corvalán Pellé, Spanish with English subtitles, 35:09 minutes, 2008 This documentary attempts to tackle the racial problems in Cuba today, through the voices of researchers, officials, musicians, artists and the general public. It is intended to serve as an open reflection on the issue and, at the same time, as a social, historical and cultural acknowledgment of the role of black people in the formation and consolidation of Cuban identity. Freddy Ilanga: Che’s Swahili Translator (Freddy Ilanga: El Traductor del Che) Director: Katrin Hansing, Spanish with English & French subtitles, 24:00 minutes, 2009 In April 1965, Freddy Ilanga, a fifteen-year-old Congolese youth, became Che Guevara’s personal Swahili teacher and translator during the latter’s secret mission in the Congo to train anti-Mobutu rebels. After seven intense months by Che Guevara’s side, the Cuban authorities sent Freddy to Cuba. During his early years, Freddy thought that his stay in Cuba would be temporary. However, 40 years passed, during which time he lost all contact with his family and homeland. That is until 2003, when he received an unexpected phone call from Bukavu, his home town. His family had finally found him… ‘Che’s Swahili Translator’ is a documentary about Freddy Ilanga, an African man whose life was abruptly transformed through a chance encounter with one of the great icons of the 20th Century, and which has predominantly been determined by the power struggles of the Cold War and the Cuban Revolution. It is a story about migration and displacement and the high human costs of exile and family separation. Click to view this email in a browser If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe Americas Media Initiative 106 Main St. Suite 5 Burlington, Vermont 05401 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.