Seriously, I asked in class today and the prof was a bit stumped. I've seen three movies by Tomas Gutierrez Alea recently,

Memories of Underdevelopment
Strawberry and Chocolate
Guantanamera

and they're all pretty scathing. I know that Cuban film all gets made with the permission of the government under the government run Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematograficos. The first one is about a delapitated ruined Havana and a disillusioned middle class man whose entire family and aquantence circle have left for Miami. This one is the only one I can even half believe made it to film, because at least he stays behind, and there is an undertow of "change is in the air." But a very marginal one, to the point where I might even be overanalyzing it. On the surface, its uber-critical.

Strawberry and Chocolate is even worse (in that sense). First its about a flmaing gay man who says he loves Cuba and is as revolutionary as the revolutionaries (one of whom he befriends). Though his artist friend can't get exhibited, and he is eventually kicked out of the country. Uh? So this time he doesn't even get to stay even though he loves Cuba? Pretty harsh. I can almost believe this one got through because at least he loved Cuba. But that fact that the government is turning him out makes it doubly scathing. How'd this film get made?

Now I saw Guantanamera, and its a love story road trip movie. But the two harshest critiques are the fact that the Heroine quit teaching in the university because she got in trouble, and that her husband is a government buerocrat ass. He is not painted sympathetically at all considering he represents "government" in this film. Ultimately, the woman ditches him. Huh? How'd this one get made too?

I asked, by Prof admitted he wasn't quite sure how Alea became the darling of Cuban cinema, or how he got produced at all. Anyone have any insight into this? Its been baffling me after seeing these movies.

Hey Dolce. I don´t have any insight but have read a couple of things about the issue. Cubais always big in the news here - also, both "Strawberry and chocolate" and "Guantanamera became box office hits here, not blockbusters but reall good performers breaking through the art house cinema guetto. Which was great, specially for "Strawberry", which I loved.

Alea has been considered the best cuban director of all time, and always worked pro the revolution. He won lots of international awards for cuban cinema, and was a firm Castro believer. So he was considered an important part of the system. In that sense, It is understadable that at some point he was allowed to be critical to some extent. He was never saying - not in his movies, neither in real life - that revolution doesn´t work, he stated that It could be better, as there is always room for improvement. It was a critique, yes, but nothing absolutely intolerable for the status quo. Also, this way, he allowed the cuban regime to show there was freedom of speech in Cuba - unless you are a serious disident, that is.

This way Castro shows that his is not a dictatorship (See? There are critical opinions, and we allow them) but at the same time knows that Alea is always going to be on his side. And all his movies, If I remember correctly, include a final message of reconciliation, of hope in the future and that past mistakes (Prosecution of homosexuality) can be amended (The homophobic guy befriending tha artist at the end of "Strawberry")

Ok, now we enter in gossip territory. I also heard that Alea was gay and his wife, Mirtha Ibarra, who played the neighbour in "Strawberry", is a lesbian. And that their whole matrimony was a lie, a cover-up. That everybody knew in Cuba but as long as appearences were maintained... Were that thing to be true, It´d show how much would Castro be able to endure just to have the greates cuban film director of all time on his side. It´d also be a great way of control... what if Alea would have gone too far with his critics of the regime? Would Castro then prosecute him for the same thing he overlooked so many years? It´s all speculation, really.

Thats interesting, of the three I've seen, I found starwberry and chocolate to be the weakest. oddly, its the one I'm most surprised that Castro allowed for release. I guess their being friends, and Castro's need to produce Cuban film celebrities was part of it, but I think I heard somewhere the ending had to be remade, though I would like to confirm that beyond rumor.

I agree with your "see, we do allow dissenting viewpoints" discussion. Ultimately the heros stay. That's the odd thing. In Memories the protagonist is really bored and not the greatest guy, but he's the only one that won't leave. He looks out of his window one day to finally see construction work. Perhaps a reward for his efforts? And in Strawberry and Chocolate, the protagonist has to leave, but he's forced to. Rather he wants to stay and he loves Cuba. Guantanamerra she leaves her government beuarocrat husband and he looks like a disrespectful annoying full throughout the entire film. So there again. Its an odd double. Alea always had a way of working both into his films, so that the international and domestic audiances can read it as they choose. I do think of the three Strawberry seems the most condemning outright, which is why my surprise at its distribution, but seeing as how the artists in the movie get censored, I think this is Castro's pat on the back for being "open" to Cuban artists.

Nice little tidbit there about the wife. Its anyone's guess, but formalities maintained could mean that he made a point to speak about her situation in his films. I don't know, do any one of his other movies deal with such content?

That is really interesting! So you heard the ending had to be changed? Hmmm... Would surely want to know more about that. I am going to check if there are any books published about Alea here. I´m sure there will be.

I´m sure that even if he was such a prominent figure, he also had to deal with some kind of censorship... but within some limits, he had creative freedom. Also I doubt that he wouldn´t know when It was going to be too much and auto-censored himself...

The thing with his movies is, in fact - at least "Strawberry" and "Guantanamera" - they are comedies. And uplifting ones at that. Movies about people who "find" each other, reconciliation and understanding... In the end, they were somehow positive. And criticizing a burocrat can be understandable from the regime´s point of view - their figure hasn´t been so popular in communist countries since they have been singled out many times as one of the major problems of communist Russia, I think. I´m talking over the top, too rigid burocrats. Have you seen "Lista de espera"? Is by his co-director in both "Strawberry" and "Guantanamera", Juan Carlos Tabio. And It´s the same type of film, very similar tone and ideas. Also a bittersweet comedy. I liked it a lot, and It also had a message about what the revolution could have been - but wasn´t. It´s not, I mean.

I don´t think more of his movies dealt with homosexuality, no. That is partly why I think "Strawberry" got so much press and attention. I do like the film and think that seemed truly personal - although It is adapted from a short story, so...