Viva Cuba Libre
English Subtitles
Feature Film Final
1/2015
00:00:10 – This film was shot undercover in Cuba. Consumer electronics and hidden cameras were used to avoid imprisonment.
00:00:19 – No government or political organizations were involved in this production or the editorial process. This is the work of independent filmmakers and musicians who defied both US and Cuban laws to tell this story.
00:00:29 - This film is dedicated to all who helped but cannot be named for fear of reprisal.
00:00:38 – LA PASION PRESENTS
00:00:48 – A FILM BY JESSE ACEVEDO
00:00:54 – MUSIC BY LOS ALDEANOS
00:01:06 – PHOTOGRAPHY & SOUND (ANONYMOUS)
00:01:09 - There’s an epic battle of ideas between the Revolutionaries and Imperialists.
00:01:15 – I give my life to the Revolution!
00:01:18 – EDIDTED BY AARON OHLMANN
IMAGE: CASTRO V/O – JFK
00:01:20 – The US President signed an executive order that imposes…
00:01:24 – a total blockade on trade with Cuba
IMAGE: CASTRO SIGNING AND SMOKING
00:01:31 – The embargo will make us stronger
00:01:34 – Our country can withstand this!
00:01:41 – We will bring our country up to the highest standards of heroism and greatness…
00:01:47 - …and we will not go hungry.
FADE IN/OUT: 00:01:55 - HAVANA 1959 – 00:02:01 HAVANA 2014
INTRO: MONTAGE CLIPS OF HAVANA 2013 REVEALED SONG PLAYS
00:02:16 – Havana…
00:02:20 – Lovely Havana…
00:02:26 – Beautiful boulevards, alleyways full of charm,
00:02:32 – framed by, the ocean…
00:02:38 – Havana…
00:02:43 – I sing to you…
00:02:48 - …as violins sigh only to play for you
CUT TO, STREET: MAN ON SIDEWALK LOS ALDEANOS RAP MUSIC BEGINS
00:03:02 – With the permission of our elders, we want to set the story straight.
00:03:06–EL B
00:03:08– Our lovely city has some dark secrets you won’t find in a tourist manual
00:03:13 – Havana, you’re easy for foreigners, the taxis stop only for them
00:03:19 – My tourist city, cut off from the world
00:03:24 – ALDO
00:03:27 – Your boardwalk is an emigration office where everyone plans escape
00:03:32 – Your balconies turned bordellos for husbands from abroad
00:03:41 – LOS ALDEANOS
00:03:43 – City of brutal police who failed high school
00:03:48 – Havana, where cruelty comes cheap
00:03:54 – Where everyone is patriotic, but if they open the gate
00:03:57 – No one will be left
00:04:18 – VIVA
00:04:19 – CUBA
00:04:21 – LIBRA
00:04:23 – VIVA CUBA LIBRE
00:04:03 – VIVA CUBA LIBRE RAP IS WAR
00:04:26 – Directed by JESSE ACEVEDO
CUT TO: YOUNG CUBAN MALES PRAISING LOS ALDEANOS
00:04:30 – The Aldeanos are the coolest!
00:04:33 – They’re wicked good!
00:04:35 - They touch the heart of all Cubans.
00:04:37 – They speak the truth, the truth can be hard to hear.
00:04:40(Cameraman asking young men questions; when italicized) – Why aren’t they on TV or radio?
00:04:43 – I can’t talk about that, all I know is they’re the best thing in Cuba.
00:04:50– Do you know their music well? Of course!
00:04:54 - So why don’t they get any radio play?
00:04:57 – They’re underground.
00:05:00 – Anyone who doesn’t love Los Aldeanos is out of their mind!
00:05:04 – ( to Man in white t-shirt) Do you like them?
00:05:06 – Of course, but that’s a very complicated topic.
00:05:10 – That’s super underground stuff.
00:05:12 – It could bring a lot of problems if I played them in public.
00:05:18 (young boy) – Everyone here listens to Los Aldeanos!
00:05:21 – They’re Cuban and they have the right to be heard!
00:05:28 – Why would they try to silence their own countrymen?
00:05:33 – The cops are listening!
00:05:36 – They’re better than other bands, and they speak the truth!
00:05:40 – That’s the most important, they speak the truth!
00:05:42 -Take it easy!
00:05:44 – They speak the truth!
00:05:45 - - I’m leaving!
CUT TO: EL B AND ALDO IN STREETS
00:05:50 – The idea of Los Aldeanos is very clear.
00:05:55 – We live in a small country, a small neighborhood and a small house…
00:05:57 – BIAN Los Aldeanos
00:06:02 – That’s an Aldea. A village.
00:06:06 – And in the Aldea we share the same beliefs.
00:06:12 – We have individual struggles, but we move forward together.
00:06:18 – We just want to open people’s eyes…
00:06:21 – They can unite and fight for their beliefs.
00:06:25 – Our music distributes itself,
00:06:30 – It’s distributed on the street, which has pros and cons.
00:06:34 – Some people make money, but not me.
00:06:38 – We burn our CD’s and give them away.
00:06:53 – Some people go to the stores to buy CDs,
00:06:56 – But stores are for legal music. Ours is illegal.
CUT TO: ALDEA CROWN AT CONCERT SHOUTING
00:07:03 – The Aldea! The Aldea! The Aldea!
00:07:07 – We give away our CDs whenever we get to perform
00:07:11 – Every CD comes packaged with all my hard work and sleepless nights…
00:07:17 - and endless fights with friends who say I sacrifice too much for my music.
00:07:26 – We do this for love for our home, for our people and for the truth…
00:07:30 – Not for all the lies in history books.
00:07:34 – Cuba is my country. I love Cuba and will defend it when I have too.
00:07:54 - It’s written on every face on the bus
00:07:57 – You see the lack of electricity and food
00:08:00 – I don’t know why we treat ourselves this way
00:08:03 – if like Celia Cruz said, “Life is a Carnival”
00:08:06 - At night the streets are empty and dangerous
00:08:09 – Restless eyes confronted by darkness
00:08:11 – Increasing fear, fraying nerves
00:08:14 - Prices going up, can’t find their way down
00:08:17 – Something’s wrong, very wrong!
00:08:20 – Why don’t you do something about it?
00:08:23 - Something’s wrong, very wrong!
00:08:26 – Why don’t you do something about it?
00:08:28 – Will history remember us as cowards?
00:08:31 – Not if you yell all together:
00:08:34 – Stop eating the shit they feed you!
00:08:37 – The time has come to stop playing games!
00:08:40 – Something’s wrong, very wrong!
00:08:43 – Why don’t you do something about it?
00:08:46 – Something’s wrong, very wrong!
00:08:49 – Why don’t you do something about it?
00:08:57- I talk about things no one else will. It’s my right and duty.
00:08:59 – BIAN Los Aldeanos
00:09:03 – I’m not afraid of what will happen to me.
00:09:06 – Hasta la victoria, siempre!
00:09:12 – They’ve lied to us from the start, it’s time to speak out.
00:09:19 – We can’t be deceived any longer with revised history lessons
00:09:23 – I know things were bad in the past, but now things are bad too.
00:09:28 – Our music is direct and harsh because that’s our reality.
00:09:29 - ALDO Los Aldeanos
00:09:35 – And that’s the government too: direct and harsh.
00:09:38 – When they impose a law they don’t ask permission, they’re direct and harsh.
00:09:43 – Here everyone is molded into following orders without asking questions.
00:09:44 - SILVITO EL LIBRA – Collaborator/Friend
00:10:06 – It’s crazy, everyone here is afraid to be free.
00:10:13 – From the first day of school they indoctrinate little kids…
00:10:24 – They don’t let anyone think for themselves, so they grow up frustrated and angry.
00:10:38 – My days are locked up and censored I’m treated like a crazy dissident
00:10:43 – Rejected by the media but loved by people
00:10:46 – And more hardcore than anal sex without lube
00:10:48 – But I keep going despite all the obstacles
00:10:51 - Perhaps one day they will reward my work
00:10:54 – Then the triumph will be yours for defying the system…
00:10:58 - …for listening to Los Aldeanos
00:11:01 – When the Aldeanos came along they pushed Cuban rap into the next stage.
00:11:07 – They were different from other rappers.
00:11:13 – They were the first to break barriers no one dared to break.
00:11:26 – No one had the balls to stand up and speak the truth.
CUT TO INTERIVIEW WITH ALDOS MOTHER ADDES
00:11:35 - ADDES Aldo’s Mother Here everyone talks about the same problems that are in my son’s songs.
00:11:40 – The only difference is that my son says these things publicly.
00:11:48 – Everyone is so afraid.
00:11:51 – I’m afraid for him as his mother, but everyone else is afraid too.
00:11:58 – Because if you speak out, what happens? They take you to the police station.
00:12:05 – They make your life a living hell. It’s not worth it.
00:12:10 – So much drama!
00:12:14 - My son is becoming important…
00:12:19 – But as his popularity grows, so does my fear.
00:12:26 – In Cuba there are very few people who have the courage to stand up say, “This is wrong.”
00:12:40 – HOLGUIN CITY
00:12:44 – 700 KM OUTSIDE HAVANA
00:12:58 – Thanks for agreeing to meet with us
00:13:03 – Do you know a safe place for us to talk?
00:13:06 – Are there any police checkpoints?
00:13:10 – ADIS NIDIA CRUZ – MOTHER OF TWO POLITCAL PRISONERS
00:13:16 – For us, Christmas Eve was a very said night.
00:13:24 – After Christmas dinner, my sons were listening to the music of Los Aldeanos.
00:13:36 – They were on the porch with friends, dancing to the Aldeanos…
00:13:41 – And singing, waving the Cuban flag.
00:13:45 – It was 11pm when five police cars showed up to the house.
00:13:52 – The police sprayed mace in their eyes.
00:13:57 – They were blinded, but still got back inside and locked the gate.
00:14:06 – As soon as they broke the gate they violently attacked us.
00:14:12 – and brutally dragged us out of the house.
00:14:19 – And once we were outside they screamed insults as they beat us.
00:14:28 – Our neighbors could do nothing, just watch through the window and cry.
00:14:50 – HAVANA
FADE TO: ALDO AND EL B WALKING THROUGH HAVANA
00:15:12 – People look at what we do and think we’re the problem…
00:15:16 – But we’re not the problem, we’re the consequences of the times we live in.
00:15:22 – That is why I struggle against the injustice we see today.
00:15:27 – I’m not against one individual, I’m against the situation we’re in.
00:15:33 – It’s possible our music is the most popular thing in Cuba.
00:15:37 – Every young person listens to us, even with no support from the radio or TV.
00:15:42 – And here we are, as poor as anybody.
00:15:52 – It’s hard to put on shows, we’re banned from performing.
00:15:56 – Nobody tells us but everyone knows. We show up and they might shut things down.
CUT TO: LOS ALDEANOS MUSIC
00:16:02 – In the streets I find my inspiration
00:16:05 – In the streets my skill’s been honed
00:16:07 - I make my music like a man
00:16:10 – In the name of my people
00:16:13 – Don’t let people deceive you
00:16:15 – I’m no lone hero
00:16:17 – Heroes are all who work hard every day
00:16:21 – And fight for their beliefs here in Cuba!
00:16:25 – When we sing it’s because someone wants to be brave and invite us on stage.
00:16:30 – But we rarely have our own concerts, usually it’s just a song at someone else’s show
00:16:34 – knowing that at any time someone might ask us to leave the stage.
00:16:45 – Talking about censorship in Cuba is difficult, you don’t know who orders it.
00:16:54 – This is why we travel far away to perform.
00:16:57 – Outside Havana can be difficult too
00:16:59 – but in smaller towns people can usually be convinced to let us play.
00:17:05 – Singing from the heart, going to a town called Consolation
00:17:14 – Traveling to shows can be tough, we always have to improvise to get there.
00:17:33 – We hitchhike, grab buses from here to there, whatever…
00:17:37 – Drink a couple shots of cheap rum and everyone goes, no matter how far.
00:17:47 – This country is fucked!
00:17:52 – Communist sons of bitches!
00:17:55 – You’re hungry and thirsty, cops hassling you, but you’re still happy.
00:18:10 – I know it’s hard to travel but you are here too late!
00:18:15 – We’re closing the place down.
00:18:17 – We went through hell to get here,
00:18:20 – even paid for our own travel.
00:18:23 – And now you won’t let us play? Give us a break here!
00:18:26 – This is the last time I’ll let rappers perform here!
00:18:31 – I haven’t finished! There’s rules!
00:18:37 – Nothing inappropriate or I’ll shut you down!
00:18:44 – And be careful, the town’s all wound up!
00:18:53 – I’m a true Cuban patriot and you are taking the wrong path!
00:18:58 – You need to be careful what you say!
00:19:02 – What are you trying to say?
00:19:04 – I’m a patriot!
00:19:07 – I’m also a patriot and I’ll say what I want!
00:19:13 – Hey you, look…
00:19:18 – Viva Cuba Libre!
00:19:21 – Careful! Be careful!
00:19:24 – Careful with him, he’s from state security!
00:19:29 – That guy is from state security!
00:19:34 – Rap in Cuba is going through a tough time.
00:19:41 – It’s discouraged because it sparks dangerous conversations.
00:19:50 – People don’t want rap at their venues because they could lose their job.
00:19:55 – Is this a jazz group?
00:19:57 – No its rap!
00:19:59 – The best in Cuba!
00:20:02 – Number one in Cuba!
00:20:12 – My life beings today!
CUT TO: LOS ALDEANOS CONCERT
00:20:27 – I shut you up!
00:20:28 – Without rehearsing I fill this place up
00:20:33 – Bian sounds as good as any of the masters
00:20:36 – Like fighting roosters, We’ll spare no one
00:20:39 – We stay strong and represent our hood
00:20:41 - We don’t need your TV stations…
00:20:56 – We hadn’t even finished one song when they turned off the amps.
00:21:05 – You know how it is, they can’t do it anymore
00:21:07 – Keep your head up and be strong
00:21:09 – And they won’t walk on us anymore
CUT TO: ALDO AND BIAN HOUSE; ALDO MOTHER, BIAN FATHER AND FRIENDS
00:21:31 – It’s not fair!
00:21:36 – This only makes them more rebellious against the system.
00:21:46 – They are products of the revolution we created.
00:21:52 – I hate that they’re loved abroad but not tolerated in their own country!
00:22:02 – Where are you old man?
00:22:06 – This is my dad…
00:22:08 – He’s the best man on the planet, with all his virtues and flaws.
00:22:12 - The complete package.
00:22:15 – He taught me to be a good man since I was young.
00:22:20 – Since back when I was still in his balls!
00:22:23 – What are his virtues?
00:22:26 – He’s full of virtues…
00:22:28 – For me there’s nobody better.
00:22:32 – And his flaws?
00:22:36 – Just look at this face!
00:22:41 – He’s set in his ways…
00:22:44 – And he doesn’t understand what I do.
00:22:47 – But I understand where he comes from, and that makes things even.
00:22:54 – Bian is complex, you have to know him to understand…
00:23:01 – ERNESTO Bian’s Father
00:23:01 – Bian isn’t afraid of anything.
00:23:04 – He never thinks of the consequences.
00:23:08 – I tell him not to play with fire, you know how things are around here.
00:23:15 – People end up in very bad situations for less than what he does.
00:23:22 – I love music, but some of Aldo’s lyrics make me crazy!
00:23:32 – I know it’s his art and a lot of people like it…
00:23:34 - MIMA Aldo’s Great Aunt
00:23:38 – but some of it makes me sick.
00:23:42 – I’m happy he’s getting famous, but his music…
00:23:47 – It’s too much to handle.
00:23:51 – It scares me
00:23:55 – I’m not saying we need to overanalyze every lyric.
00:24:02 – But we live in a socialist county, we made this revolution.
00:24:09 – But some fools try and push their own agenda,
00:24:14 – they take small examples and use it as evidence against the entire system.
00:24:21 – Fighting the system only brings problems, I tell this to my son and everyone else.
00:24:28 – My son needs to know that what he does will have consequences.
FADE TO: HOLGUIN CITY
00:24:38 – HOLGUIN CITY
00:24:43 – Please explain how you were beaten.
00:24:45 – I couldn’t see them beat my husband, everything happened so quickly.
00:24:51 – I can only speak for myself, I got hit on my back
00:24:59 – As they yelled, “Viva Fidel, Viva Raul!”
00:25:02 – In my anger I screamed “Down with Fidel! Down with Raul! Long live human rights!”
00:25:09 – I’m a pacifist but that pushed me to the limit!
00:25:14 – I’m afraid about what could happen to my sons…
00:25:20 – I just got a call today…
00:25:26 – My youngest son called me telling me he has lesions all over his skin.
00:25:36 – They’re being held unjustly, the world must know this.
00:25:41 – The government’s gone too far, so much injustice!
00:25:48 – I’m afraid for them because so many young people have lost their lives this way.
00:25:53 – That’s how they killed Orlando Zapata Tamayo!
00:25:59 – I’m sorry for crying!
00:26:01 – I try to be strong and normally I can do it, but sometimes I can’t take it!
00:26:11 – I want freedom for my sons, I want them to return home.
00:26:17 – They are kept in a small cell in inhumane conditions.
00:26:23 – The cell is underground where other inmates defecate.
00:26:29 – It’s so small they call it the “bullseye.”
00:26:37 – Would you tell me again why listening to Los Aldeanos is a crime?
00:26:41 – Because Los Aldeanos express the reality of what the Cuban people endure.
00:26:50 – In every song they express our reality and our truth.
00:26:58 – And this is why my sons were listening to that music.
00:27:14 – It’s here…
00:27:16 – Don’t stop here! Park by that corner!
00:27:19 – Thanks for speaking with me.
00:27:25 – I hope someone can help me to free my sons as soon as possible.
00:27:36 – Okay Senora, please be very careful, we’ll talk soon.
00:27:42 - Be careful…
CUT TO: LOS ALDEANOS MUSIC VIDEO
00:27:55 – I’d be spineless, if I abused my power to steal from my people
00:28:00 – If I oppressed entire generations, and cut the roots of their imagination
00:28:05 – I’d be spineless if I cracked down on the youth, when it was I who sold them the rum
00:28:11 – If I’d talk about Revolution while violating rights to serve my greed
00:28:18 – It’s sad because we do it ourselves.
00:28:24 – The police are abusing the people they should be helping.
00:28:31 – The police are victims too, just puppets in another person’s game.
00:28:40 – I’d be spineless if I used violence against dissidents
00:28:46 – And used cops dressed as civilians to silence those who disagree
00:28:51 – I’d be spineless if I forgot the thousands who drowned trying to escape
00:28:57 – If I’d only worry about little Elian
00:29:00 – Who’ll save the others, Superman?
00:29:03 - We’re the Revolution no one planned for
00:29:05 – We’re the youth tired of being lied to
00:29:08 – Everyone knows the pain that I feel
00:29:11 – You can’t keep us all down for long
00:29:14 – Don’t point your finger, it’s you who’s losing touch
00:29:19 – Don’t get too comfortable, it’s time to pay for what you’ve done
FADE TO: HAVANA CITY STREET
00:29:44 – We choose to use rap as a weapon to confront authority in this country.
00:29:50 - Rap is war.
00:29:53 – This country is different from others.
00:29:55 – You don’t have a say over your own future, you can’t decide how to live your life.
00:29:59 – You have no control over your own destiny.
00:30:02 - Someone’s always looking over your shoulder, standing in your way…
00:30:08 – You have to declare war. There’s no peace without a fight.
00:30:12 – It’s war. That’s the way it is.
00:30:19 – Another sleepless night, there is hate in the air
00:30:23 – It happens each time that demon steps to the podium
00:30:25 – The muses move you, something must be said
00:30:28 - Lines are crossed, the game has begun
00:30:31 – You feel alone, and you feel like there’s no rest
00:30:34 – You fight for change that the government doesn’t want
00:30:37 - You’re an internal problem, another crazy on the loose
00:30:40 – But you know you’re only speaking truth
00:30:44 – The constitution says we’re free, yet they try and control us.
00:30:51 – But they won’t control us. We will say whatever we want.
00:30:57 – I’ll sing what I want, I’ll talk about what I want.
00:31:02 – This is the way we think.
00:31:05 - We sing about the reality of Cuba because it’s what we know best.
00:31:12 - This is my land, this is my war
00:31:16 – This is my act, you can’t shut me up
00:31:18 - For every door you close I’ll just knock again
00:31:21 – You want to twist truth, and make me disappear
00:31:24 – You can line me up in front of the shooting squad
00:31:27 - You can try to turn my gun back on me
00:31:30 – I want to see what things you’ll try
00:31:33 – How you’ll keep my outrage in check
00:31:36 – My song is fire, you can’t stop it
00:31:38 – We’ll keep fighting, we never surrender
00:31:42 – We’ll defeat you, our lyrics our ammunition
00:31:44 – There’s blood on your hands, Rap is war!
CUT TO: BIANS HOUSE AND ERNESTO , BIANS FATHER
00:31:58 – I thought I’d find tomatoes yesterday, but they’re out of stock everywhere.
00:32:03 – Instead I bought 5 lbs. of potatoes and man was it expensive!
00:32:11 – Were you able to find eggs?
00:32:14 – No, I wanted to buy eggs and tomatoes but there weren’t any.
00:32:20 – They say I might be able to find eggs at that place you went once…
00:32:27 – I grew up with my mom. My dad was a sailor and was usually away.
00:32:33 – But in my memory they were always together.
00:32:37 – My mother wrote poetry, we keep it in my father’s wedding album.
00:32:49 – Look at all her poetry here!
00:32:55 – And I only kept a few…
00:33:05 – Look at how beautiful she was!
00:33:09 – As I got older I’d write poems with her and we’d read them together.
00:33:16 – It was because of her I started to write.
00:33:25 – We were together for 29 years
00:33:28 – And she died November 27, two years ago today.
00:33:36 – And then…
00:33:40 – It was just the two of us until he brought his pregnant girlfriend to live with us.
00:33:51 – I’m getting ready to paint the entire room.
00:34:01 – I’m fixing the house up…
00:34:05 – I want everything to look nice for the arrival of my baby girl.
00:34:16 – We’re kinda nervous.
00:34:27 – This is my wife, the most beautiful woman in the world…
00:34:34 – And the most beautiful baby inside.
00:34:38 – It’s busy trying to kick its way out.
00:34:44 – I’m going to give her all my love.
00:34:52 – I’m going to try to be the best father.
00:34:58 – I’ll try my hardest.
00:35:13 – I went to Bian’s house and saw the paint job.
00:35:18 – Did it come out nice?
00:35:19 – They painted their house fluorescent green and purple.
00:35:23 – They really like those colors. –Its nice.
00:35:50 – Come here.
00:35:52 – Do you love your daddy and take care of him?
00:35:58 – Or does daddy take care of you?
00:36:01 – He takes care of me. – And you don’t take care of him?
00:36:06 – This was my baby boy.
00:36:10 – I would bathe him. – I lived here when I was your age.
00:36:16 – He stayed here until he was 14!
00:36:21 – He lived here? – Yes, he was almost born here.
00:36:25 – I grew up here. – I would wash him, dress him, feed him…
00:36:29 – I would do it all. – She made me wash my hands every day.
00:36:34 – And do you know what he would do every day?
00:36:37 – I’d wet the bed every night.
00:36:40 – Since my mother worked to support the family she couldn’t take care of me.
00:36:49 – I lived at my great aunt’s house. She’s everything to me.
00:36:55 – She was like my father, mother, sibling and friend.
00:37:03 – Mima I love you…Aldo Daniel.
00:37:14 – Look Also, it’s Little Daniel’s girlfriend!
00:37:18 – No!!! Give that here!
00:37:21 – Don’t push!
00:37:23 – I’ll rip it apart! –No
00:37:26 – Isn’t she pretty…
00:37:29 – It’s a lie!
00:37:38 – She’s so pretty!
00:37:41 – I don’t have a girlfriend!
00:37:55 – How we met? In a party.
00:37:59 – We had a friend in common who introduced us.
00:38:05 – We exchanged rhymes the first time we met.
00:38:09 - And the next day we were already writing together.
00:38:14 – Around 8am the second day Los Aldeanos was born.
00:38:17 – That was the day we wrote our first song.
00:38:21 – In less than a week we finished our first album to the beat of a backing track.
00:38:41 – We can do some shots in our normal clothes and others all dressed up.
00:38:50 – I could wear huge sunglasses and no shirt
00:38:57 – I’m so skinny I’ll look like a microphone!
00:39:03 – Let’s shoot in that abandoned building,
00:39:05 – Anywhere you point the camera you’ll get a cool shot!
CUT TO: OUTSIDE WALKING /VIDEO SHOOT
00:39:08 – Say my name, say my name
00:39:10 – We’re the big shots here
00:39:12 – We don’t respect the law
00:39:14 – We’re here to throw it back in your face
00:39:32 – Sometimes big plans turn out wrong
00:39:34 – And things must be solved with secret dealings and phone calls
00:39:40 – Get used to it cuz I’m the ant biting you as much as I can
00:39:45 – I’m not going to put my head down while you feed me more lies
00:39:58 – Let’s do it again
00:40:00 – Change your ways cuz whores like you get murdered by Jack the Ripper
00:40:05 – Like corrupt police erasing truth from the history books
00:40:12 – Like the policeman who inflicts justice with his boot
00:40:17 – Stop the fucking abuse, tyranny is stretched too thin
00:40:21 – It’s coming to an end
00:40:25 – I don’t give a damn about the snitcher in my hood
00:40:27 – There’ll always be gossip, the truth is I’m the story that makes my hood proud
00:40:33 – I’m their voice, I’m their brother I’m straight with them
00:40:36 – Zero vices, plenty of sex
00:40:38 – Fairness and wisdom feed my hunger for justice
00:40:41 – And I don’t need to be paid to say this
00:40:44 – It’s simple!
00:40:50 – Rap was born out of struggle in the New York ghettos.
00:40:57 – It was a way to fight against poverty and government oppression.
00:41:06 – Hip hop culture has been like this from the beginning.
00:41:11 – Check it out, some freestyle…
00:41:19 – Breakdancing too, it mimics the movements of fighting.
00:41:24 – The whole scene is part of a culture of resistance.
CUT TO: HOLGUIN CITY
00:42:17 – HOLGUIN CITY
00:42:19 – TWO MONTHS AFTER THE CRUZ BROTHERS’ ARREST
00:42:25 – Here’s the papers from the lawyer, we tried to post bail but they denied us.
00:42:32 – And this is a letter of complaint from the same lawyer, also rejected.
00:42:40 – Did they throw rocks? –That and more!
00:42:45 – The shutters and locks are broken, the door got kicked down.
00:42:52 – You can see marks from the crowbar.
00:42:56 – And you can still see where they threw eggs at us.
00:43:01 - -Let’s get a bag and we’ll leave through the back…
00:43:04 – Here is a disc with photos of the kids.
00:43:10 – And documentation of what happened to us.
00:43:17 – The photos show how the house used to be…
00:43:23 – And how the police defaced it.
00:43:30 - -Here’s the bag. No, bring a bigger one.
00:43:35 – Hide the camera in here first… Wait, we’re not done.
00:43:38 – Do it for your own security, we have nothing to lose.
00:43:45 – We’re not afraid!
00:43:47 – You see those bikers outside, those are state security.
00:43:52 – Put the camera in the bag.
FADE TO: CITY SCAPE LOS ALDEANOS INSIDE HOUSE
00:44:17 – The album “Viva Cuba Libre” is now out on the streets.
00:44:23 – We already have problems, but this album will be the end of us.
00:44:29 – This album is…pure freedom of expression.
00:44:35 – So basically, we’re fucked! It’s because we speak the truth.
00:44:42 – We’ve nothing to lose, what else can they do to me?
00:44:45 – The only thing I have left is the ‘freedom’ to be free inside my house.
00:44:50 – And the ‘freedom’ to take the bus!
00:44:52 – All we can do is expose their lies and speak the truth
00:44:59 – That’s why it’s called Viva Cuba Libre!
FADE TO: LOS ALDEANOS MUSIC
00:45:02 – So you don’t forget the moment when you first heard this…
00:45:05 – Write down the date
00:45:08 – It will mark your life forever
00:45:13 – We’re writing a new chapter in Cuban history
00:45:19 – This is for all Cubans, the millions that are here and the millions who left
00:45:26 – To those who tried to escape and became shark food
00:45:29 – And for all the innocent people in our prisons
00:45:32 – This song goes to all the heroes who’ve been forgotten
00:45:35 – For the consequences of all the bad choices
00:45:37 – For those I represent and those who represent me
00:45:40 – For those who eat only bread and water for dinner
00:45:43 – For the dead revolutionary ideals
00:45:46 – For the havoc and trauma of the 90’s
00:45:49 – For all those who improvise their daily survival
00:45:52 – And for all of you who march with empty stomachs
00:45:54 – For all those living in misery…
00:45:58 – Unaware of how beautiful Cuba truly is
00:46:01 – For the ones who don’t bow to the dictator’s wishes
00:46:04 – For Camilo Cienfuegos, our true leader
00:46:06 – For all who believe victory is possible
00:46:09 – For freedom and for the love to my country
00:46:13 – Viva Cuba Libre!
00:46:15 – The Revolution starts now!
FADE TO: INTERVIEW
00:46:19 – The police arrived at my home and treated me like a terrorist.
00:46:28 – As if we were thieves or criminals.
00:46:33 – I didn’t know what was going on so I let them in.
00:46:37 – As you can imagine everything became chaos, my sister was crying…
00:46:42 – I was terrified, but I didn’t want to give them the pleasure of seeing how afraid I was.
00:46:58 – It was horrible when the cop came here, I thought I was going to die.
00:47:03 – What cop are you talking about?
00:47:07 – The one that took Aldo to jail.
00:47:12 – It made me sick…so sick.
00:47:16 - I lost 20lbs, just look how skinny my arms are!
00:47:26 - All for one song! Can you believe it? All for one song.
CUT TO: LOS ALDEANOS MUSIC
00:47:37 – All I want to ask is when?
00:47:41 – Tell me when
00:47:43 – Because I can’t take another lie
00:47:45 – I’m taking a stand
00:47:50 – My wound grows bigger, with every song I sing
00:47:56 – That big boot keeps crushing me, but I won’t bow to the Commander in Chief
00:48:01 – I can only be honest with every song and why not? Long live the revolution!
00:48:05 – But the truth is I can’t take it any more!
00:48:09 – That motherfucker made this country a prison!
00:48:12 – This might not be the most political song we have
00:48:17 – But it’s the song that the government has hated most
00:48:24 – Because we say very clearly, the war has started
00:48:31 – You want me to leave, but I’ve decided to stay
00:48:36 – My reality isn’t pretty, but it’s what I know
00:48:41 – Put walls in front of me, I’ll knock’em down!
00:48:44 – If you stop my shows, I will sing on!
FADE TO: BLACK / KITCHEN
00:48:52 – ALDO’S LAPTOP IS CONFISCATED AND HE IS ARRESTED
00:48:55 – A DAY LATER HE IS RELEASED WITHOUT BEING CHARGED
00:49:19 – We’re seven and a half months pregnant.
00:49:24 – This is where he always kicks.
00:49:35 – They always tell us that it looks like a girl, but they never confirmed it…
00:49:43 – Maybe next time they’ll tell us it’s a boy
00:49:48 – No, it has to be a girl!
00:49:59 – So in the last three ultrasounds they told us it was going to be a girl…
00:50:05 – Even the shape of her belly pointed to it being a girl.
00:50:18 – So the last time we went for an ultrasound, to our surprise…
00:50:22 – The monitor showed two little balls and a tiny penis.
00:50:28 – It’s unbelievable, you can see it clearly now!
00:50:33 – Who knows what I’m going to do with all those clothes!
00:50:36 – You were preparing for a girl?
00:50:39 – At least some of the clothes aren’t pink.
00:50:43 – It’s going to be a little baby transvestite!
00:50:47 – Yeah well, some of the clothes will work.
CUT TO: HAVANA OCEAN
00:51:16 – This weekend we have a chance to play a big show, but I don’t know if I’ll be going.
00:51:23 – My wife hasn’t been feeling well lately, and I’m afraid something will happen while I’m gone.
00:51:32 – In the last few months her pregnancy has gone from bad to worse.
00:51:38 – It’s been nine rough months, she hasn’t felt well in a long time.
00:51:46 – Lately she’s been bleeding, and last time the doctor warned us…
00:51:55 – that there was a good chance of a miscarriage.
00:52:15 – BIAN STAYS AT THE HOSPITAL WITH HIS WIFE
00:52:19 – ALDO SETS OUT TO THE CONCERT
CUT TO: BUS TO CONCERT
00:52:31 – We’re going check it out and see what we can do.
00:52:37 – And we’re going with this one, looking like Bin Laden.
00:52:42 - You’ll have to shut me up, or wait until the driver kicks me out.
00:53:08 – Whoa man, did you see her!
00:53:11 – SHHHHHH!
00:53:14 – Cameras have big mouths, you have to be careful around them!
00:53:21 – Want to know why?
00:53:23 – I don’t need to be told. We know your camera can be used for good or bad.
00:53:30 – And you know when you can’t use it.
00:53:35 – You can use it for good…
00:53:38 – Or to fuck around, and you know the consequences!
00:53:40 – And what about the police cameras? Are they bad?
00:53:46 – Let’s not talk about this!
00:53:48 – I’m only asking…
00:53:49 – Don’t talk about the police cameras.
00:53:52 – Okay let’s talk about these cameras then.
00:53:55 – Our cameras are there for a reason, your camera just goes and shoots whatever.
00:54:02 – We’re stopping in this town for a lunch break.
00:54:06 – Our cameras have a purpose. You just have it to mess around.
00:54:13 – This is a short stop for lunch.
00:54:16 – This dude is out of his mind!
0:54:23 - When we travel out into the provinces, the towns usually have very nice facades.
00:54:34– Everything is pretty, but that’s all the tourist stuff.
00:54:38 – But I’m interested in what lies beyond that…
00:54:43 – I’m going to go up the hill now, I’ll take you up the back way.
00:54:50 – I want to see the places most people won’t go.
00:55:00 – On our way to the show, they told us to stay away from this town or we’d be robbed.
00:55:08 – But we still went, we didn’t listen to them.
00:55:12 – DO NOT ENTER MILITARY ZONE
ENTER INTO: VILLAGE HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC EYE
00:55:16 – Senora, why they don’t they want us up here?
00:55:19 – Of course they don’t want you to see this mess!
00:55:23 – They don’t let people up here
00:55:26 – They only let people see the bottom of the hill, where the houses are made of concrete.
00:55:36– Here the houses are made of tin,cardboard,whatever…
00:55:42 – And whatever garbage others throw away.
00:55:47 – That’s why they don’t want you up here.
00:55:55 – Good afternoon.
00:55:56 – Someone told them to be careful of the people on this hill.
00:56:02 – No criminals here, only the very poor. We’re here because there’s nowhere else to go.
00:56:16 – This is my house, all flimsy. It’s finished with cardboard for privacy.
00:56:22 – I was jailed for