Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 2:00:
Look and don’t neglect them. The islands are apparent worlds, cut off from the sea, in the solitude of rootless lands, in the water’s silence a stain, having dropped anchor once, leaving the remains of the storm on the waves.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 3:37:
I think that Cuba is a very creative place, because it’s an island where you’re discovering everything for the very first time. The lack of material things makes people create a utopia. We’re an island of utopias.
Sin Embargo, Nevertheless
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 4:23:
The Cuban is always inventing. In the worst period, called the “Special Period”, I remember a friend of mine said: “I’ve just had a steak”, and I asked him, “Where did you get that steak?” And he said, “My mother made that steak, using the pulp of a grapefruit.” In other words, not just in food, in all aspects of life, people substitute and improvise.
Charo Torres 4:53:
I turned fifteen in the 1970’s when there was nothing here. For example, there was no Maybelline so I’d fix my eyelashes with shoe polish. We’d put blush on with crayons and use toothpaste as deodorant. I remember, my friends and I would make sandals out of fabric and cardboard from cake boxes and vinyl from beach balls.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 5:30:
I’ve typed a book by re-inking a typewriter ribbon many times. I had to sew the book together to enter a competition. This was not detrimental to the quality of the book.
1959: Fidel Castro comes to power in Cuba
1960: Cuba forms an alliance with the Soviet Union
1962: The U.S. imposes a total embargo on trade with Cuba
Raul Torres 5:58:
It’s a diabolical creature. But it’s good. No, actually, she’s very good. Her name is Catalina. She’s faithful. She won’t abandon you. She responsive. She’s very economical. She’s like a firecracker. I wish women were more like Catalina. Quite simply, I was tired of pedalling. Obviously, the motor’s been invented so one shouldn’t have to pedal any more. So I used a Chinese bicycle and a two-horse-power motor and components from other things. Like shock absorbers and the front of a Soviet rig. I built this beam myself. Look at Catalina appearing on television.
Thomas Garcia 6:55:
Cubans are amazing. They’re the most creative people in the world. With all due respect to you, you’re not Cuban, are you?
1989: The U.S.S.R. collapses, ceasing subsidies of instigated $6 billion per year
1992: Cuba’s GDP falls an estimated 35% beginning a period commonly referred to as “Armageddon”
1992: The Cuban government calls it “a Special Period in a time of peace”
Man who makes antenna 8:02:
This antenna is made of two discarded aluminum trays, which is the same material used in regular antennae. We had to make these when there was a shortage of regular antennae on the market. So we got these two trays, like so many others in Havana. It’s given us good results because it works. You punch holes into the trays so that air can pass through them and connect the wires to the two trays and there you go. It’s been there for years and it’s still intact.
Man who makes wheelchair 9:10:
I made this car myself using my own resources. I found the pipes and made the body. Then I found a small wheelchair, cut it down and moulded it to the body of the vehicle. I found a 3/4 pipe, three bicycle chains and bicycle pedals. You pedal forward and it accelerates. You pedal backwards and it stops. The idea popped into my head, spontaneously, out of my need to get around. Since I have a workshop, that specializes in repairing pressure cookers, fixing car and bicycle parts, I was able to make this easily. It’s much lighter than a bicycle. There’s no better system for me. See you later.
During the Special Period 70% of state enterprises are operating at a loss.
An estimated 50% of the population is unemployed.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 10:32:
Substitution is quite normal. It happens everywhere. But what’s important here, is that substitution isn’t done via normal means. You can’t just buy things, you have to invent them.
Burner
Igniter
Carbon Lamp
Padlock
Oven
Coffee Press
Lamp
Heater
Bike Seat
Mouse Trap
Goblet
Dianjo Hernandez 11:32:
Initially, we were inspired to document everything that was going on in Havana’s visual and social arena. We gathered and classified over six hundred objects and placed them in a gallery space. It was the beginning of the crisis that started in 1991.
Francis Acea 12:02:
That’s when we really started to value the production of these objects. The exhibition was a testimony to the production of objects that was taking place during this period and state of the economy, where Cubans had to start making do. It was through this process of making their own objects that Cubans were able to overcome the shortage of goods on the market.
Francis Acea 13:01:
People made casts of objects and reproduced them in plastic. They looked contaminated as they were made of different plastics that were melted down. It looked very suspicious. It had a marbling effect that looked beautiful, but the quality was bad. It wouldn’t last. It perished quickly. It scratched and peeled off.
Man who recycles toilets 13:53:
I heard about recycling washing machines not in Havana but from Santiago. It had been going on there for several years before it came here. We modify it to make it function better. It’s done to make it spin faster. Cubans are inventive. They’re constantly solving problems. It’s not like foreign countries where if something breaks, you throw it away. Here, you fix it.
Man who recycles toilets 14:40:
Well, here we work with recycled materials. We get all sorts of salvaged building materials, which we fix up and sell. This bowl dates back to the turn of the century. This bowl has a working life of 80-90 years. More modern bowls can be used for 40-70 years. Gradually they become clogged due to urine accumulating and water that carries dirt. All that builds up in the pipes and we clear them out. People don’t need to buy new bowls. They bring them to us blocked and we unblock them. We give them a 40-50 year warranty. In other places, they have more sophisticated toilets. Like in the U.S., where they flush automatically.
Andres Montalban 16:18:
I use recycled materials in a different manner. In Cuba, sculpture isn’t very common because it’s difficult to produce. Especially with the lack of materials. During the Special Period, things got expensive and electricity became a problem. Many sculptors gave up and turned to painting. So in this sense, it was an act of defiance on my part. I’m working with traditional materials like wood or metal, but I’m experimenting with them and using them in new ways. I’m 33 and I’ve been doing this since I was 13. Time has made its mark on me.
Man selling ham 17:56:
Cubans are very spontaneous. They have the need. They have the money. They say: “Hey, I’ll take it!” Cubans are like that. We buy it, we chop it, we sell it and make a little profit.
Domestic food production drops by over 30%
Man at distribution Center 18:33:
Consumers get a monthly allocation: beans, sausages, rice, raw sugar, white sugar, eggs, basics consumed every month…bread, everything within a normal quota. People carry a record book, where we record their monthly allocation.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 19:13:
We make the most of this precariousness, like extracting gold. It’s a country of playfulness. The Cubans have spent their lives playing, from the first Indians, until now, always reforming, playing and substituting for what they don’t have.
Child on street 19:50:
When the ball lands in the squares you get a number. Each square has a number from 1 to 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and if it lands in the middle, you get a 9.
Interviewer 20:08:
What do you call the game?
Child on street 20:12:
The Gutter.
Marianela Boan Montalvo 21:31:
I’m a choreographer who’s always worked in a very simply way. I’ve always rejected what I thought to be decorative or superfluous. But the situation in Cuba, has made me even more radical. It has driven me to this.
1992: Planned blackouts double to 8 hours at a stretch
Marianela Boan Montalvo 22:45:
For example, in the huge crisis of ’93 and ’94, I’d arrive at my studio, turn on the tape recorder and there’d be no electricity. So I decided to do a silent piece.
1992: Fuel deliveries are educed by up to 80%
Man on Street 23:50:
There are problems, many problems. Like that bus, if it broke down, oh my God, I don’t want to know. You basically have to sleep here to catch the next one. The most useful thing is the Camel Bus. They want to get rid of it, because they say it’s too ugly.
Francis Acea 25:25:
The taxi-limousine was the first large object we replicated. We had to go to Eastern Europe to find the “Ladas” we required. We had to convince a Polish metal-worker that he could weld three cars together. How could we convince him that it was possible? We had to demonstrate to him that taxi-limousines existed in Havana. Once he realized that it existed independent of our ideas, he knew he was capable of making it as well.
Man who makes inner tubes 26:17:
I make inner tubes for bicycles. Let me tell you how this came about. I’ve been making these inner tubes for about twelve years. About nine years ago, an uncle of mine, living in the province of Santo Espiritu, was trying to figure out a way to make money. While in prison, he came up with the idea of how to make the tubes. When he came out, his brother had a job repairing punctures. They started to do this type of manual work. They got together and started to make bicycle tubes from recycled truck tires. These are the truck tires. We cut the truck tires into strips and bind it here. These are the presses where I make them with a small Russian iron that heats up evenly. People pay more for my tires than factory-made ones. Factory-made tires sell for 25 pesos. People buy mine for 40. Cuban pesos.
1993: In response to the economic crisis, the Cuban government legalizes self-employment in over 150 industries
Orlando Pirez Mendoza 28:28:
I’ve been a musician for 31 years. I’ve always enjoyed making instruments. I learned the trade in Matanzas. In my spare time, while I was making guitars and repairing instruments, I had the idea for a machine that made guitar strings. Musicians couldn’t find guitar strings anywhere. I had to think how this machine would work. I would get really frustrated but I kept at it, until I finished it. There’s even a fishing harpoon which is the central axis of the machine. I searched there and there and began compiling parts. Then I realized that I had to make it of wood. Almost all machines are made of steel, but I didn’t have those resources.
1994: To curb the sharp rise in private enterprise, the Cuban government imposes restrictions
Restriction 1: Employees must be family members
Restriction 2: The use of a middleman is discouraged
Restriction 3: Fee to obtain business permits are increased
Restriction 4: Supplies must be obtained from the government
Man who makes inner tubes 29:52:
This tube is ready to go to the place where it will be sold. We used to sell them at a flea market in Old Havana. But the government closed it down. So now we sell them in a more covert way, because we’re not permitted to sell them. We sell them through the Black Market. We sell them in bulk to the tire-repair shops.
Man who repairs toilets 30:16:
We have a licence. Our licence allows us to do plumbing. It’s not a licence to sell, just to work.
1994: Despite the restrictions, over 150,000 Cubans are self-employed
Sign: Lighter Refilling
Sign: Glasses Repair
Man who repairs glasses 31:08:
This has been a family tradition for about 20-30 years. It’s been passed on from generation to generation. I like my work. I make a living by solving people’s problems. It’s very satisfying.
In this case, it’s their glasses. If they’re broken or missing a part, we have to invent ways to fix them with materials that are not found in optometry. We try to make do with a piece of wire, a hand made screw…and that’s how we solve it. This pair used to be square-shaped. So what did we do? We molded a part using a spoon. That’s what we did. See how it opens? And then we bent it and formed it into the shape we wanted. Then we secured it with a screw.
Tomas Garcia 32:17:
This one’s a stud. He was born here. They sing beautifully, at night, at daybreak, anytime. I play the role of mother to these birds.
Tomas Garcia’s wife 32:38:
He names them, Colmenares, Jose Fernandez, Franz Fernandez.
Tomas Garcia 32:45:I believe I do a lot with the little I have.
Tomas Garcia’s wife 32:49 :He’s always dealt with delicate animals.
Tomas Garcia 32:55:I don’t claim to be very intelligent but I work hard, and I love what I do.
Man with telephone doorbell 33:04:
This telephone was a gift from my daughters. I investigated it, and came to the conclusion, that I could use it as a doorbell so that people wouldn’t have to knock. The doorbell rings, and here’s number one. It’s for short rings. Number two gets a little bit longer. And so on. When no one comes to the door, you use the longest one. It’s a pretty normal thing, people like it very much. I never thought it would attract so much interest. That’s it.
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso 34:27: About three years ago, I decided to change my profession. I was an economist for twenty years, and an accountant for the government. When the Special Period intensified, I gave up, and became a hairdresser. This gave me more freedom. I invented a character. She was created in 1994, at a time when tolerance for the gay movement began to develop. We’re all made of bits and pieces, like all Cubans, I’m no exception. I started inventing things to create my character. I molded a body out of foam. I’d steal my mother’s pantyhose. I’d put on her skirts. I completely created the character.
Pedro (cont) 36:19
Here, being a female impersonator is the hardest thing in the world. Wigs cost a fortune in Cuba so we have to make them. We use a special fibre called “luba” which isn’t even real hair. It’s a vegetable fibre. Then I’d have to style and color it until my nails were raw. Even nails are hard to come by so I’d make them from plastic bags. Definitely not like the nails which people send us from exile. But they were nails and they did the trick.
Charo Torres 37:18:
My mother would make me babydoll dresses out of dress lining. I remember my mother once made a black babydoll and the lining was pink so the top was filled with little marking holes. I got some shoe polish and started to paint inside so you couldn’t see the holes. People thought I dressed so well. And you remember, I used to be very thing…I looked like a ballerina. People would say you’re the best dressed girl in town but they wouldn’t know the lengths I went to.
Charo (cont) 38:40:
You know that we Cuban women are very vain. I’m 44 years old and continue to be this way.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 39:34: These days, in Cuba, people mythologize, consumer products that they haven’t been able to buy in years. For instance, people are amazed by deodorant spray. That’s all they talk about. That’s the least literary thing I’ll say in this conversation. They’re all bedazzled. Like an Indian when he was first shown a mirror. Because scarcity creates new myths.
Francis Acea 40:05: These objects, more than having any specific utilitarian function, represent people’s yearning for real consumer products, that they desired…that they aspire to have. This desire is a constant feature of Cuban experience.
Richardo Acun 41:19: This piece of equipment occurred to me as a substitution for the great technology of the Steadicam. With this equipment I’ve been able to make hand-held shots possible. We don’t have that technology in this country. I thought of it after working with a cinematographer for many years, who only shot hand-held. I noticed that he suffered a lot with the camera. It wasn’t very stable.
I came up with this. It’s given me good results. I’ve used it on quite a few films. It’s made of very simple materials. It’s made of bed tubing. A friend of mine who’s a welder, made some pieces. The idea here is to place any type of camera, film or video, and the operator feels comfortable. All the weight is on the shoulders and the handles on the bottom are for guiding the camera. Once the operator uses this device he no longer has any problems.
Fisherman 1 42:55: Fishing in rafts isn’t allowed here because of the rafters that were leaving the country. If you’re out there alone, you have to be a good swimmer. If you’re not, then you’ll “lose the battle”. He and I hang out together. I’m teaching him how to fish and what one needs to know at sea and about the tides because it’s very dangerous. I do it because I like it and I don’t have to deal with people. Nobody messes with me and I don’t mess with anybody.
Fisherman 2 43:42: I made this raft from layers of Styrofoam, that I joined together. I took two long strips to make the base. There’s a seat over here and another there, and a basket for putting the fish. These sticks are for the fishing rods and this piece holds the raft together. That tire can puncture. To me, this is very secure. A bit strange but more secure.
Fisherman 1 44:21: What harm are we doing here? Why won’t they let us fish?
Teodosia Aleman Medina 44:57:
Meguilito’s an only child because when he was born his mother had complications and they had to induce the delivery. His mother dedicated herself to him. She’d take him to the doctor because of his problems.
His mother died and then he stayed with his father. Miguelito was about 25 years old. His father was a carpenter and taught him carpentry. His father would buy him toy tool kits. Even with his condition, he’d always build things. Little houses and trucks, all sorts of small things. He’s very good at carpentry. He’d make little toys that no one thought he’d made because he’d made them so well. Even with his condition, he’s very intelligent.
Marianela Boan Montalvo 46:29:
In Cuba, we have time. We don’t have money, but we have time. This is a value that’s been lost in many parts of the world. For me, this is a value that is more important than anything else.
Tomas Garcia 46:44: Sacrifice develops the intellect. It develops humanity and culture
.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 46:55: Over this ruin, you can see the talent of people being used. Nothing has been wasted. Every resource has been used.
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso 47:11: The Cuban people have survived by their ability to invent and create. To create in all aspects, not just to make life easier or more tolerable but to construct a dream for an alternate future.
Written and directed by Judith Grey
Cast:
Miguel Hernandez Abreu
Francis Acea
Ricardo Acuna
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso
Dianjo Hernandez
Teodosia Aleman Medina
Andres Montalban
Marianela Boan Montalvo
Raul Torres Martell
Orlando Pirez Mendoza
Rolando Morejon Mentoya
Tomas Garcia Perez
Produced by Katherine Cheng & Eva Orner
Executive Producers:
Ben McPherson
James Steindecker
Cinematography by:
Judith Grey
Additional Camera:
Guy Bertrand
Juan Carlos Alom
Still Photography:
Judith Grey
Film Editing By:
Judith Grey & Luis Moreno
Additional Editors:
Martin Fox
Ben Joss
David Milner
Stephen Rees
Graphics:
Hoyne Design
Andrew Hoyne
David Marinelli
Script Advisors:
Eva Orner
Ruth Shalit
Fact Checker:
Sara Ivry
Research Advisor:
Jason Drucker
Interviewers on Location:
Armando Suarez Cobian
Guy Bertrand
Omar Perez Lopez
Translation:
Mario Lavandeira
Lauren Kerr
Jorge Lopez-Canales
Location Sound:
Michael Jones
Sound Post Production:
Soundwaves
Tristan Meredith
Peter Walker
Color Correction:
Finecut
Stephen Rees
Online:
Finecut
David Milner
Composer of Journey Through the Sea:
Juan Antonio Jesus Ordonez
Music By:
‘Canciers de Luna” By Leo Brouwer
‘Son de la Loma’ By Cantar En Cuba
‘Cha Cha Cha’ By Angel Acosta & Ruth Guerrero
‘Messie Julian’ By Armando Orefiche
‘Veinte Anos’ By Maria Teressa Vera
‘Quirino’ By Nicolas Guillen & Emilio Grenet
‘Drume Nigrata’ By Eliseo Grenet
‘Cantineros De Cuba’ By Manuel Garcia
‘Pierre Jamballah’ By Bebo Valdes
Special Thanks:
Sharon Ballon
Ingrid Bernstein
Rhona Bitner
Jennifer Buzzelli
Vinnie Chieco
Nick Cohen
Chris Deburg
Yariv Erez
David Gegoda
Linda Gregoriou
Steven Jobs
Jump Editiorial:
Michael Saia,
Barry Stilwell,
Dee Tagert,
David Bryen.
Dale Jones-Evans
Tim Kane
Hugh Herbet-Burns
Rachel Lavigne
Hunter Lipton
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
McCann Erickson
Bennett Miller
Edward Nahem
Andrea Newhouse
James Sanders
Eddie Stern
Yuji Yamakazi
Associate Producer:
Steven Joester
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 49:15: The islands are apparent worlds, salt stains, another woman thrown upon me, only the lesser life, the unhurried gratitude of the islands in me.
Poetry:
“Las Islas” By Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa
Sin Embargo ©2003 Leaf Productions
[END RECORDING]
Look and don’t neglect them. The islands are apparent worlds, cut off from the sea, in the solitude of rootless lands, in the water’s silence a stain, having dropped anchor once, leaving the remains of the storm on the waves.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 3:37:
I think that Cuba is a very creative place, because it’s an island where you’re discovering everything for the very first time. The lack of material things makes people create a utopia. We’re an island of utopias.
Sin Embargo, Nevertheless
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 4:23:
The Cuban is always inventing. In the worst period, called the “Special Period”, I remember a friend of mine said: “I’ve just had a steak”, and I asked him, “Where did you get that steak?” And he said, “My mother made that steak, using the pulp of a grapefruit.” In other words, not just in food, in all aspects of life, people substitute and improvise.
Charo Torres 4:53:
I turned fifteen in the 1970’s when there was nothing here. For example, there was no Maybelline so I’d fix my eyelashes with shoe polish. We’d put blush on with crayons and use toothpaste as deodorant. I remember, my friends and I would make sandals out of fabric and cardboard from cake boxes and vinyl from beach balls.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 5:30:
I’ve typed a book by re-inking a typewriter ribbon many times. I had to sew the book together to enter a competition. This was not detrimental to the quality of the book.
1959: Fidel Castro comes to power in Cuba
1960: Cuba forms an alliance with the Soviet Union
1962: The U.S. imposes a total embargo on trade with Cuba
Raul Torres 5:58:
It’s a diabolical creature. But it’s good. No, actually, she’s very good. Her name is Catalina. She’s faithful. She won’t abandon you. She responsive. She’s very economical. She’s like a firecracker. I wish women were more like Catalina. Quite simply, I was tired of pedalling. Obviously, the motor’s been invented so one shouldn’t have to pedal any more. So I used a Chinese bicycle and a two-horse-power motor and components from other things. Like shock absorbers and the front of a Soviet rig. I built this beam myself. Look at Catalina appearing on television.
Thomas Garcia 6:55:
Cubans are amazing. They’re the most creative people in the world. With all due respect to you, you’re not Cuban, are you?
1989: The U.S.S.R. collapses, ceasing subsidies of instigated $6 billion per year
1992: Cuba’s GDP falls an estimated 35% beginning a period commonly referred to as “Armageddon”
1992: The Cuban government calls it “a Special Period in a time of peace”
Man who makes antenna 8:02:
This antenna is made of two discarded aluminum trays, which is the same material used in regular antennae. We had to make these when there was a shortage of regular antennae on the market. So we got these two trays, like so many others in Havana. It’s given us good results because it works. You punch holes into the trays so that air can pass through them and connect the wires to the two trays and there you go. It’s been there for years and it’s still intact.
Man who makes wheelchair 9:10:
I made this car myself using my own resources. I found the pipes and made the body. Then I found a small wheelchair, cut it down and moulded it to the body of the vehicle. I found a 3/4 pipe, three bicycle chains and bicycle pedals. You pedal forward and it accelerates. You pedal backwards and it stops. The idea popped into my head, spontaneously, out of my need to get around. Since I have a workshop, that specializes in repairing pressure cookers, fixing car and bicycle parts, I was able to make this easily. It’s much lighter than a bicycle. There’s no better system for me. See you later.
During the Special Period 70% of state enterprises are operating at a loss.
An estimated 50% of the population is unemployed.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 10:32:
Substitution is quite normal. It happens everywhere. But what’s important here, is that substitution isn’t done via normal means. You can’t just buy things, you have to invent them.
Burner
Igniter
Carbon Lamp
Padlock
Oven
Coffee Press
Lamp
Heater
Bike Seat
Mouse Trap
Goblet
Dianjo Hernandez 11:32:
Initially, we were inspired to document everything that was going on in Havana’s visual and social arena. We gathered and classified over six hundred objects and placed them in a gallery space. It was the beginning of the crisis that started in 1991.
Francis Acea 12:02:
That’s when we really started to value the production of these objects. The exhibition was a testimony to the production of objects that was taking place during this period and state of the economy, where Cubans had to start making do. It was through this process of making their own objects that Cubans were able to overcome the shortage of goods on the market.
Francis Acea 13:01:
People made casts of objects and reproduced them in plastic. They looked contaminated as they were made of different plastics that were melted down. It looked very suspicious. It had a marbling effect that looked beautiful, but the quality was bad. It wouldn’t last. It perished quickly. It scratched and peeled off.
Man who recycles toilets 13:53:
I heard about recycling washing machines not in Havana but from Santiago. It had been going on there for several years before it came here. We modify it to make it function better. It’s done to make it spin faster. Cubans are inventive. They’re constantly solving problems. It’s not like foreign countries where if something breaks, you throw it away. Here, you fix it.
Man who recycles toilets 14:40:
Well, here we work with recycled materials. We get all sorts of salvaged building materials, which we fix up and sell. This bowl dates back to the turn of the century. This bowl has a working life of 80-90 years. More modern bowls can be used for 40-70 years. Gradually they become clogged due to urine accumulating and water that carries dirt. All that builds up in the pipes and we clear them out. People don’t need to buy new bowls. They bring them to us blocked and we unblock them. We give them a 40-50 year warranty. In other places, they have more sophisticated toilets. Like in the U.S., where they flush automatically.
Andres Montalban 16:18:
I use recycled materials in a different manner. In Cuba, sculpture isn’t very common because it’s difficult to produce. Especially with the lack of materials. During the Special Period, things got expensive and electricity became a problem. Many sculptors gave up and turned to painting. So in this sense, it was an act of defiance on my part. I’m working with traditional materials like wood or metal, but I’m experimenting with them and using them in new ways. I’m 33 and I’ve been doing this since I was 13. Time has made its mark on me.
Man selling ham 17:56:
Cubans are very spontaneous. They have the need. They have the money. They say: “Hey, I’ll take it!” Cubans are like that. We buy it, we chop it, we sell it and make a little profit.
Domestic food production drops by over 30%
Man at distribution Center 18:33:
Consumers get a monthly allocation: beans, sausages, rice, raw sugar, white sugar, eggs, basics consumed every month…bread, everything within a normal quota. People carry a record book, where we record their monthly allocation.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 19:13:
We make the most of this precariousness, like extracting gold. It’s a country of playfulness. The Cubans have spent their lives playing, from the first Indians, until now, always reforming, playing and substituting for what they don’t have.
Child on street 19:50:
When the ball lands in the squares you get a number. Each square has a number from 1 to 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and if it lands in the middle, you get a 9.
Interviewer 20:08:
What do you call the game?
Child on street 20:12:
The Gutter.
Marianela Boan Montalvo 21:31:
I’m a choreographer who’s always worked in a very simply way. I’ve always rejected what I thought to be decorative or superfluous. But the situation in Cuba, has made me even more radical. It has driven me to this.
1992: Planned blackouts double to 8 hours at a stretch
Marianela Boan Montalvo 22:45:
For example, in the huge crisis of ’93 and ’94, I’d arrive at my studio, turn on the tape recorder and there’d be no electricity. So I decided to do a silent piece.
1992: Fuel deliveries are educed by up to 80%
Man on Street 23:50:
There are problems, many problems. Like that bus, if it broke down, oh my God, I don’t want to know. You basically have to sleep here to catch the next one. The most useful thing is the Camel Bus. They want to get rid of it, because they say it’s too ugly.
Francis Acea 25:25:
The taxi-limousine was the first large object we replicated. We had to go to Eastern Europe to find the “Ladas” we required. We had to convince a Polish metal-worker that he could weld three cars together. How could we convince him that it was possible? We had to demonstrate to him that taxi-limousines existed in Havana. Once he realized that it existed independent of our ideas, he knew he was capable of making it as well.
Man who makes inner tubes 26:17:
I make inner tubes for bicycles. Let me tell you how this came about. I’ve been making these inner tubes for about twelve years. About nine years ago, an uncle of mine, living in the province of Santo Espiritu, was trying to figure out a way to make money. While in prison, he came up with the idea of how to make the tubes. When he came out, his brother had a job repairing punctures. They started to do this type of manual work. They got together and started to make bicycle tubes from recycled truck tires. These are the truck tires. We cut the truck tires into strips and bind it here. These are the presses where I make them with a small Russian iron that heats up evenly. People pay more for my tires than factory-made ones. Factory-made tires sell for 25 pesos. People buy mine for 40. Cuban pesos.
1993: In response to the economic crisis, the Cuban government legalizes self-employment in over 150 industries
Orlando Pirez Mendoza 28:28:
I’ve been a musician for 31 years. I’ve always enjoyed making instruments. I learned the trade in Matanzas. In my spare time, while I was making guitars and repairing instruments, I had the idea for a machine that made guitar strings. Musicians couldn’t find guitar strings anywhere. I had to think how this machine would work. I would get really frustrated but I kept at it, until I finished it. There’s even a fishing harpoon which is the central axis of the machine. I searched there and there and began compiling parts. Then I realized that I had to make it of wood. Almost all machines are made of steel, but I didn’t have those resources.
1994: To curb the sharp rise in private enterprise, the Cuban government imposes restrictions
Restriction 1: Employees must be family members
Restriction 2: The use of a middleman is discouraged
Restriction 3: Fee to obtain business permits are increased
Restriction 4: Supplies must be obtained from the government
Man who makes inner tubes 29:52:
This tube is ready to go to the place where it will be sold. We used to sell them at a flea market in Old Havana. But the government closed it down. So now we sell them in a more covert way, because we’re not permitted to sell them. We sell them through the Black Market. We sell them in bulk to the tire-repair shops.
Man who repairs toilets 30:16:
We have a licence. Our licence allows us to do plumbing. It’s not a licence to sell, just to work.
1994: Despite the restrictions, over 150,000 Cubans are self-employed
Sign: Lighter Refilling
Sign: Glasses Repair
Man who repairs glasses 31:08:
This has been a family tradition for about 20-30 years. It’s been passed on from generation to generation. I like my work. I make a living by solving people’s problems. It’s very satisfying.
In this case, it’s their glasses. If they’re broken or missing a part, we have to invent ways to fix them with materials that are not found in optometry. We try to make do with a piece of wire, a hand made screw…and that’s how we solve it. This pair used to be square-shaped. So what did we do? We molded a part using a spoon. That’s what we did. See how it opens? And then we bent it and formed it into the shape we wanted. Then we secured it with a screw.
Tomas Garcia 32:17:
This one’s a stud. He was born here. They sing beautifully, at night, at daybreak, anytime. I play the role of mother to these birds.
Tomas Garcia’s wife 32:38:
He names them, Colmenares, Jose Fernandez, Franz Fernandez.
Tomas Garcia 32:45:I believe I do a lot with the little I have.
Tomas Garcia’s wife 32:49 :He’s always dealt with delicate animals.
Tomas Garcia 32:55:I don’t claim to be very intelligent but I work hard, and I love what I do.
Man with telephone doorbell 33:04:
This telephone was a gift from my daughters. I investigated it, and came to the conclusion, that I could use it as a doorbell so that people wouldn’t have to knock. The doorbell rings, and here’s number one. It’s for short rings. Number two gets a little bit longer. And so on. When no one comes to the door, you use the longest one. It’s a pretty normal thing, people like it very much. I never thought it would attract so much interest. That’s it.
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso 34:27: About three years ago, I decided to change my profession. I was an economist for twenty years, and an accountant for the government. When the Special Period intensified, I gave up, and became a hairdresser. This gave me more freedom. I invented a character. She was created in 1994, at a time when tolerance for the gay movement began to develop. We’re all made of bits and pieces, like all Cubans, I’m no exception. I started inventing things to create my character. I molded a body out of foam. I’d steal my mother’s pantyhose. I’d put on her skirts. I completely created the character.
Pedro (cont) 36:19
Here, being a female impersonator is the hardest thing in the world. Wigs cost a fortune in Cuba so we have to make them. We use a special fibre called “luba” which isn’t even real hair. It’s a vegetable fibre. Then I’d have to style and color it until my nails were raw. Even nails are hard to come by so I’d make them from plastic bags. Definitely not like the nails which people send us from exile. But they were nails and they did the trick.
Charo Torres 37:18:
My mother would make me babydoll dresses out of dress lining. I remember my mother once made a black babydoll and the lining was pink so the top was filled with little marking holes. I got some shoe polish and started to paint inside so you couldn’t see the holes. People thought I dressed so well. And you remember, I used to be very thing…I looked like a ballerina. People would say you’re the best dressed girl in town but they wouldn’t know the lengths I went to.
Charo (cont) 38:40:
You know that we Cuban women are very vain. I’m 44 years old and continue to be this way.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 39:34: These days, in Cuba, people mythologize, consumer products that they haven’t been able to buy in years. For instance, people are amazed by deodorant spray. That’s all they talk about. That’s the least literary thing I’ll say in this conversation. They’re all bedazzled. Like an Indian when he was first shown a mirror. Because scarcity creates new myths.
Francis Acea 40:05: These objects, more than having any specific utilitarian function, represent people’s yearning for real consumer products, that they desired…that they aspire to have. This desire is a constant feature of Cuban experience.
Richardo Acun 41:19: This piece of equipment occurred to me as a substitution for the great technology of the Steadicam. With this equipment I’ve been able to make hand-held shots possible. We don’t have that technology in this country. I thought of it after working with a cinematographer for many years, who only shot hand-held. I noticed that he suffered a lot with the camera. It wasn’t very stable.
I came up with this. It’s given me good results. I’ve used it on quite a few films. It’s made of very simple materials. It’s made of bed tubing. A friend of mine who’s a welder, made some pieces. The idea here is to place any type of camera, film or video, and the operator feels comfortable. All the weight is on the shoulders and the handles on the bottom are for guiding the camera. Once the operator uses this device he no longer has any problems.
Fisherman 1 42:55: Fishing in rafts isn’t allowed here because of the rafters that were leaving the country. If you’re out there alone, you have to be a good swimmer. If you’re not, then you’ll “lose the battle”. He and I hang out together. I’m teaching him how to fish and what one needs to know at sea and about the tides because it’s very dangerous. I do it because I like it and I don’t have to deal with people. Nobody messes with me and I don’t mess with anybody.
Fisherman 2 43:42: I made this raft from layers of Styrofoam, that I joined together. I took two long strips to make the base. There’s a seat over here and another there, and a basket for putting the fish. These sticks are for the fishing rods and this piece holds the raft together. That tire can puncture. To me, this is very secure. A bit strange but more secure.
Fisherman 1 44:21: What harm are we doing here? Why won’t they let us fish?
Teodosia Aleman Medina 44:57:
Meguilito’s an only child because when he was born his mother had complications and they had to induce the delivery. His mother dedicated herself to him. She’d take him to the doctor because of his problems.
His mother died and then he stayed with his father. Miguelito was about 25 years old. His father was a carpenter and taught him carpentry. His father would buy him toy tool kits. Even with his condition, he’d always build things. Little houses and trucks, all sorts of small things. He’s very good at carpentry. He’d make little toys that no one thought he’d made because he’d made them so well. Even with his condition, he’s very intelligent.
Marianela Boan Montalvo 46:29:
In Cuba, we have time. We don’t have money, but we have time. This is a value that’s been lost in many parts of the world. For me, this is a value that is more important than anything else.
Tomas Garcia 46:44: Sacrifice develops the intellect. It develops humanity and culture
.
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 46:55: Over this ruin, you can see the talent of people being used. Nothing has been wasted. Every resource has been used.
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso 47:11: The Cuban people have survived by their ability to invent and create. To create in all aspects, not just to make life easier or more tolerable but to construct a dream for an alternate future.
Written and directed by Judith Grey
Cast:
Miguel Hernandez Abreu
Francis Acea
Ricardo Acuna
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa
Pedro Manuel Gonzalez Reinoso
Dianjo Hernandez
Teodosia Aleman Medina
Andres Montalban
Marianela Boan Montalvo
Raul Torres Martell
Orlando Pirez Mendoza
Rolando Morejon Mentoya
Tomas Garcia Perez
Produced by Katherine Cheng & Eva Orner
Executive Producers:
Ben McPherson
James Steindecker
Cinematography by:
Judith Grey
Additional Camera:
Guy Bertrand
Juan Carlos Alom
Still Photography:
Judith Grey
Film Editing By:
Judith Grey & Luis Moreno
Additional Editors:
Martin Fox
Ben Joss
David Milner
Stephen Rees
Graphics:
Hoyne Design
Andrew Hoyne
David Marinelli
Script Advisors:
Eva Orner
Ruth Shalit
Fact Checker:
Sara Ivry
Research Advisor:
Jason Drucker
Interviewers on Location:
Armando Suarez Cobian
Guy Bertrand
Omar Perez Lopez
Translation:
Mario Lavandeira
Lauren Kerr
Jorge Lopez-Canales
Location Sound:
Michael Jones
Sound Post Production:
Soundwaves
Tristan Meredith
Peter Walker
Color Correction:
Finecut
Stephen Rees
Online:
Finecut
David Milner
Composer of Journey Through the Sea:
Juan Antonio Jesus Ordonez
Music By:
‘Canciers de Luna” By Leo Brouwer
‘Son de la Loma’ By Cantar En Cuba
‘Cha Cha Cha’ By Angel Acosta & Ruth Guerrero
‘Messie Julian’ By Armando Orefiche
‘Veinte Anos’ By Maria Teressa Vera
‘Quirino’ By Nicolas Guillen & Emilio Grenet
‘Drume Nigrata’ By Eliseo Grenet
‘Cantineros De Cuba’ By Manuel Garcia
‘Pierre Jamballah’ By Bebo Valdes
Special Thanks:
Sharon Ballon
Ingrid Bernstein
Rhona Bitner
Jennifer Buzzelli
Vinnie Chieco
Nick Cohen
Chris Deburg
Yariv Erez
David Gegoda
Linda Gregoriou
Steven Jobs
Jump Editiorial:
Michael Saia,
Barry Stilwell,
Dee Tagert,
David Bryen.
Dale Jones-Evans
Tim Kane
Hugh Herbet-Burns
Rachel Lavigne
Hunter Lipton
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
McCann Erickson
Bennett Miller
Edward Nahem
Andrea Newhouse
James Sanders
Eddie Stern
Yuji Yamakazi
Associate Producer:
Steven Joester
Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa 49:15: The islands are apparent worlds, salt stains, another woman thrown upon me, only the lesser life, the unhurried gratitude of the islands in me.
Poetry:
“Las Islas” By Reina Maria Rodriguez Landa
Sin Embargo ©2003 Leaf Productions
[END RECORDING]