Reeling in the (Cuban) Years!

A little late (I was away at a conference when it was published) here is a link to my review of

the First Havana/Glasgow Film Festival that the Morning Star published last Thursday.

Conducta - Five star film

The review was necessarily edited and lost the ratings I gave the films I saw (for the record they were; Conducta - *****; Mi Dicen Cuba - *** and Boccaccerios Habaneros - ****).

The overall standard of the films I saw was very good indeed, and it is quite salutary to realise, that if it hadn't been for this new film festival, people in Glasgow (and elsewhere in the UK) would have had little or no opportunity to see them. 

I think that it is also significant that, despite some levels of support from some local institutions - Glasgow City Council, Glasgow School of Art, GFT, and the bar, Mango amongst others - the Festival's organiser, Eirene Houston, expended a considerable outlay of both money and time to bring it to Glasgow.

We must ensure that this First Festival isn't the last. There is quite clearly a major cinematic ferment in Havana which it would be important to see, and even if and when that is covered, the theme could surely be broadened to cover other Latin American countries. Of course, also usefully explored could be our western view of Cuba (touched on in the festival with the showing of In Cuba They're Still Dancing). 

Let's make sure this is the first of many

The other thing we must ensure is that the infrastructure that makes everything happen, isn't suspended from such a shoogly nail!

Cuba – land of problem and promise

Fernando Perez - in Glasgow Saturday!

The First Havana/Glasgow Film Festival has started with a bang. The first film La Pericula de Ana, was reportedly a very funny launch, and Conducta - on last night, was an outstanding film - a review of which is below. 

Me dicen Cuba

 Tonight, the island's music takes centre stage with Me Dicen Cuba. The highlight, though, comes on Saturday, when the leading Cuban Film Director, Fernando Perez comes to the festival to talk about his film La Pared de las Palabras – this will be shown at 3.00pm, GFT. Later that day a discussion on Socialism Reinvented? will be accompanied by two well-known Glasgow films - In Cuba they're still Dancing, and Red Skirts on Clydeside. This last event is at Glasgow Uni's Gilmorehill Centre, See the festival website for details. www.hgfilmfest.com

Conducta (Behaviour) – 2014 – *****  GFT
This UK premiere of Ernesto Daranas’ Conducta was a triumphant debut as part of an increasingly impressive first Film Festival. The film pulls no punches in its examination of the underbelly of the Cuban revolution. The beautifully filmed, crumbling buildings of Havana are symbolic of the crumbling of the society. But ultimately it is a film full of hope.
 

Conducta - Hope takes wing

 The film centres round the troubled Chala (superbly played by young Armando Valdes Freire), and the impact on him of his mother’s drug abuse, his father(?), Ignazio’s illegal dogfighting ring and his own run-ins with the police.  His only positive is his deep relationship with his (older) form teacher, Carmela (Alina Rodriguez). This is threatened by her championship of the troublesome kid, and his young ‘girlfriend’ Yeni (another great performance by Amaly Junco). Cue clashes with (younger) authority figures over Chala’s future.

But hope wins through – Chala’s real interest is flying pigeons, Yeni (and Carmela) break the link with the dogfights, and Carmela does not succumb to pressure to retire. Is the film a clash between the older ‘revolution’ and the new ‘commercialism’? If so, young teacher Marta’s move from replacement to support for Carmela is hopeful, as is Ignazio’s tacit acceptance of responsibility. The beauty of the filming too, indicates a deep love for the people and city, on both sides of the ubiquitous railroad tracks.

Mrs Barbour’s Army – 100 years on!

As we approach November 17 – the centenary of the day the court case against 18 Glasgow women on Rent Strike was dropped – it is probably not surprising that the amount of references to Mary Barbour, and in particular the proposed statue to commemorate the activist, campaigner and politician, are likely to increase dramatically.

Mary Barbour

The Scottish Morning Star ‘Our Class, Our Culture’ series of events starts the feature tomorrow (3 November) – with a talk by Maria Fyfe on Rent Strikes and Red Clydeside. The former Labour MP for Maryhill is now Chair of the Remember Mary Barbour Association and will no doubt be keen to bring everyone up to speed on the status of the statue project as well as bringing out some of the important advances that Mary contributed. This is at the STUC centre at 7.00pm. Details here.

Hopefully the woefully small number of prominent women marked by  statues in Glasgow (three at the last count) will soon be increased!

The AJ Taudevin play, Mrs Barber’s Daughters, first performed at A

Mrs Barbour's Daughters. Photo - Leslie Black

Play, a Pie and a Pint, at Oran Mor in 2014, has a fresh outing at the Tron this week. From the 4 -7 Nov this short play, incorporating worker, protest and popular songs from the last 100 years, will update the history and point to lessons for today.  7.45pm each night – details here.

And watch out on the 17 itself, for the latest steps in the statue saga!

Political, cultural and lifestyle links celebrated in Glasgow/Havana film festival.

Many people over the years have commented on the parallels between the cities of Glasgow and Havana. The enthusiasm for dance, music and film that envelopes both cities has been often referred to, and no doubt led in part to the historic twinning of the two cities 13 years ago this month. Tangible evidence of the benefits of that twinning are on screen in Glasgow this week, as the first Glasgow/Havana Film Festival opens.

The festival, brainchild of the Cubaphile screenwriter and director, Eirene Houston, features at least three (count ‘em) UK premieres of Cuban films, Q&As with well-known Cuban directors – including Fernando Perez whose La Pared de las Palabras premieres at the GFT on 7 Nov, and Alejandro Valera who recently moved to live in Glasgow. His Boccaccerias Habaneras premieres on 8 Nov at Gilmorehill. It also features Houston’s own 2012 film Day of the Flowers.

Eirene Houston. Pic-Martin Shields

 Houston said at last night’s opening, that she had been ‘in love with Cuba, since 1997. The people are so similar.’ She herself worked at the film school in Havana and has built up many film and TV contacts which became key to the creation of the festival.

The political links between the two cities are also covered by a film and discussion night on Saturday 7, at Gilmorehill, Glasgow University. Glasgow TUC Chair and UNISON official, Jennifer McCarey chairs a discussion on Socialism Reinvented, and two seminal Glasgow-based TV productions are given a welcome airing – Barbara Orton’s 1993 feature on Rolls Royce shop steward, Labour councillor and dance enthusiast, Agnes McLean – In Cuba they’re still Dancing is followed by Red Skirts on Clydeside, the 1984 programme that started the reassessment of the role of Glasgow’s women in red Clydeside.

Me Dicen Cuba - Alexander Abreu

Other films that promise much include, Me Dicen Cuba (6 Nov, Gilmorehill) – the story of Cuba’s greatest musicians coming together to record the title song of a documentary in support of the Cuban 5; Conducta – the UK premiere of the most universally successful Cuban film since Strawberry and Chocolate (5 Nov, GFT); and La Pericula de Ana (3 Nov, GFT) a film about a native Cuban actress and exploitative foreign filmmakers!

Couple all this with a celebration of Cuban food (in Stravaigin on 4 Nov), the launch of Rebecca Gordon Nesbitt’s book on the central role of Cuban Culture – To Defend the Revolution is to Defend Culture - (in the CCA on the 7 Nov) and to make the cities’ links complete – a revival of the Club Cubana nights, Glasgow used to see! (In Mango, Sauchiehall Street, 6 Nov). Full Programme is available from the festival website, here. You’ll find something you want to see, hear or eat/drink!