I Am Cuba

Stunning. An impeccable series of political vignettes examining (however truthfully) pre-revolutionary Cuba. Each vignette carries its own uniqueness of story while together maintaining a clear central thread. The cinematography is remarkable. Genuinely one of the most impressive combination of style and substance I can remember. Some of the one-ers in this would be significant technical achievements if attempted today - to see them in 1964 is unreal. And the visual storytelling is just as good: the shot of the body in the plaza, crowd surrounding, shadows of papers in the air was paralyzing. Historically, this is also fascinating. When it was released, it wasn’t taken to by either Cuba (viewing it as too stereotypical) or the Soviet Union (politically viewing it as too artistic over propaganda (the Soviets brought charges because of this on director Mikhail Kalatozov who had won the Palme d’Or just a few years before!!)) leading to it being almost unknown until it was rediscovered in the 1990’s by Americans who restored it. You could watch it on YouTube up until just a few years ago! The Criterion might be a must buy. How remarkable that a Soviet-funded film about pre-revolutionary Cuba with technical advisement from Fidel Castro and Che Guevara themselves, intended as a propaganda film, could reach the heights of filmmaking that it did then be rejected by the countries that birthed it only to be rediscover, restored, and loved by America 30 years later.