Video de Familia (Family Video) / Usufructo / Los Bañistas (The Swimmers)

VÍDEO DE FAMILIA (Family Video)

Think of a cross between All in the Family and ¿Qué Pasa, USA? set in Cuba after the demise of the Soviet bloc and you begin to get a drift of director Humberto Padrón’s delightful and structurally bold maiden mid-length feature. In Havana, a family records a homemade video greeting card to the son who left for Miami never to return. Startling revelations ensue.

In person: Director Humberto Padrón.

USUFRUCTO

A farmer continues to toil the land expropriated by the revolution. Late in life, he has nothing to speak of, except for a $50,000 debt to the government. Director Eliecer Jimenez Almeida trains his lens on his challenged yet unwavering father.

In person: Director Eliecer Jimenez Almeida.

LOS BAÑISTAS (The Swimmers)

Last year, director Carlos Lechuga was in the news with his censored feature Santa y Andrés. Some years earlier he made the short gem Los bañistas (The Swimmers) about a swimming instructor in search of a working pool to train his students for a competition. The teacher’s travails are bracketed by sequences that recall Paul McCartney: When you find yourself in times of trouble ... “listen to the music playing in your head.”

In person: Actor Mario Guerra.

They come in all shapes and sizes. They are fearless and fly under the radar. They address a reality that’s either glossed over or spoken of in hushed tones. Armed with little more than their immense talent - and an overriding sense of humor - Cuban independent filmmakers have been carving out a significant niche for themselves. CGAC is delighted to pay tribute to these largely unsung movie heroes with a 9-program, 25-film salute.

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Check out the rest of our Forbidden Fruit program!