Diego Santana | diariodecuba.com
Cuban Cinema and Censorship: Another Sad Tale
The Cuban Filmmakers Assembly publishes a list of over 250 works excluded in the last three decades.
To understand the list of over 250 films excluded from Cuban theaters in the last three decades, recently published by the Cuban Filmmakers Assembly, one must start with the short documentary P.M. from 1961. Directed by Sabá Cabrera Infante and Orlando Jiménez Leal, and produced by the cultural weekly Lunes de Revolución, it sparked the first intellectual controversy of the Revolution and began a long history of censorship in Cuban cinema. P.M. was the initial trigger of a systematic and destructive practice that intensified in the 1990s with the advent of modern digital cameras.
The Commission of Censorship and Exclusion of the Cuban Filmmakers Assembly stated:
“Deliberate acts of censorship and exclusion stem from public dissemination policies that need to be analyzed and corrected”.
These policies restrict not just the creators and their works but also the public, whose right to think for themselves is impaired.
The list, submitted to the government in October 2023, includes notable Cuban directors such as Rolando Díaz, Belkis Vega, Arturo Sotto, and Enrique Colina, totaling 100 names and more than 250 works. Among the excluded films are features, documentaries, shorts, and animations.
Works by directors like Alán González, Alejandro Alonso, Armando Capó, and others have also faced censorship. Films like Santa y Andrés (2016), Utopía (2004), Fuera de liga (2008), Memorias del desarrollo (2011), and many more are part of this extensive list.
Since the ban on P.M. over 60 years ago, the government has frequently used censorship to suppress dissenting voices. Common practices include excluding films from the Havana International Film Festival and denying permission for public screenings. In some cases, the censorship has been even more convoluted. For instance, Alicia en el pueblo de Maravillas (1991) was shown, but Communist Party members were instructed to disrupt any positive reception of the film.
Criticism in the press, often based on ideological rather than cinematic grounds, has also been a censorship tool. Alicia en el pueblo de Maravillas faced severe condemnation, and attempts were made to suppress Suite Habana by Fernando Pérez through harsh reviews.
The Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) has produced films that faced delays, cuts, or outright bans. For instance, Hasta cierto punto by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea was released only after prolonged disputes. Even public criticism from Fidel Castro, such as the condemnation of Guantanamera without having seen it, has played a role in this complex web of censorship.
Due to these restrictions, many young filmmakers have emigrated, seeking creative freedom and opportunities. The monopoly of ICAIC over Cuban cinemas prevents independent theaters from challenging their control, further stifling the expression of critical perspectives.
Most of the censored films delve into the societal decay and unaddressed realities of Cuba, narratives largely absent from official outlets like Granma. Given this context, censorship remains the authorities’ default response to dissent.
Read the full article in English on diariodecuba.com, using Google Translate.
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