Soy Cuba (1964)

Director:

Mikhail Kalatozov

Writers:

Enrique Pineda Barnet (writer)
Yevgeni Yevtushenko (writer)(Cuban version)

Release Date:

December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Four vignettes in Batista's Cuba dramatize the need for revolution; long, mobile shots tell almost wordless stories...

Plot Keywords:

Student | Farm | Sailor | Cuba | Revolution

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sergio Corrieri	...	Alberto
Salvador Wood
José Gallardo	...	Pedro
Raúl García	...	Enrique
Luz María Collazo	...	Maria / Betty
Jean Bouise	...	Jim (in Cuban version) (as Jean Bouisse)
Alberto Morgan
Celia Rodriguez	...	Gloria (in Cuban version) (as Zilia Rodríguez)
Fausto Mirabal
Roberto García York	...	American activist
María de las Mercedes Díez
Bárbara Domínguez
Jesús del Monte		(as Isis del Monte)
Luisa María Jiménez	...	Teresa
Mario González Broche	...	Pablo (in Cuban version) (as Mario González)
Tony López
Héctor Castañeda
Rosendo Lamadriz
Roberto Villar
Roberto Cabrera
Alfredo Ávila
José Espinosa
Rafael Díaz
Isabel Moreno
Manuel J. Mora		(as Manuel Mora)
Raquel Revuelta	...	The voice of Cuba
Nina Nikitina	...	Russian text reader (Russian version) (as N. Nikitina)
Georgi Yepifantsev	...	Russian Text Reader (Russian version) (as G. Yepifantsev)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aramís Delgado	...	(uncredited)
El Duo Los Diablos	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Pepe Ramírez	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mikhail Kalatozov		(as Mikhail Kalatozov in Russian version and as Mijail Kalatozov in Cuban version)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Enrique Pineda Barnet		writer
Yevgeni Yevtushenko		writer)(Cuban version (as Evgueny Evtushenko)

Original Music by
Carlos Fariñas

Cinematography by
Sergei Urusevsky		(Cuban version) (as Serguey Urusevsky)

Film Editing by
Nina Glagoleva		(as N. Glagoleva)

Production Design by
Yevgeni Svidetelev		(also as Evgueny Svidietelev in Cuban version)

Costume Design by
René Portocarrero

Makeup Department
Luz M. Cáceres	....	makeup artist
Vera Rudina	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bela Fridman	....	production manager
Maryakhin Simyon	....	production manager (Cuban version) (as S. Maryakhin: Russian version) (as Semión Mariajin)
Miguel Mendoza	....	production manager (Russian version) (as M. Mendoza)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Tanner	....	assistant director (also as G. Tanner: Russian version)
Marina Volovich	....	assistant director (Russian version) (as M. Volovich)
Oleg Zernov	....	assistant director (Russian version) (as O. Zernov)

Art Department
Luis Carrillo	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as L. Carrillo)
José Cruz	....	construction chief
Carmelina García	....	props (Russian version) (as K. García)
Francisco Labrador	....	props (Russian version) (as F. Labrador)
Elsa Mustelier	....	props (Russian version) (as E. Mustelier)
Mário Noa	....	props (Russian version) (as M. Noa)
Luis Obregón	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as L. Obregon)
René Portocarrero	....	artistic consultant
Milagros Trabas	....	props (Russian version) (as M. Trabas)
Juan Varona	....	construction chief (Russian version) (as H. Varona)

Sound Department
Rodolfo Plaza	....	sound assistant (Russian version: as R. Plaza)
Vladlen Sharun	....	sound (Russian version: as V. Sharun)

Special Effects by
Boris Travkin	....	special effects (as B. Travkin)
A. Vinokurov	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Boris Brozhovsky	....	camera operator (Russian version) (as Boris Broshovsky: Cuban version) (as B. Brozhovsky)
Alexander Calzatti	....	camera operator (Russian version) (as Alexandr Kalzaty: Cuban version) (as A. Kaltsatyj)
Guido Cantero	....	lighting technician (Russian version) (as G. Kantero)
Rolando Dovo	....	still photographer (Russian verison) (as R. Dovo)
Viktor Mikhajlov	....	lighting technician (Cuban version) (as Víctor Mijaylov)
Manuel Oropesa	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as M. Oropesa)
Manuel A. Ramírez	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as M.A. Ramirez)
Konstantin Shipov	....	assistant camera (Russian version) (as K. Shipov)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carmelina García	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as K. García)
Francisco Labrador	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as F. Labrador)
Elsa Mustelier	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as E. Mustelier)
Mário Noa	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as M. Noa)
Milagros Trabas	....	wardrobe (Russian version) (as M. Trabas)

Editorial Department
Lidia Tyurina	....	assistant editor (Russian version) (as L. Tyurina)
Lidia Tyurina	....	assistant editor (Cuban version) (as Lidia Tyurina)

Music Department
M. Duchesne	....	orchestra director (uncredited in the Cuban version)
Emin Khachaturyan	....	conductor (Russian version) (uncredited in the Cuban version) (as E. Khachaturyan)

Other crew
Rolando Bruguez	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as R. Bruguez)
Regino Fariñas	....	advisor (Russian version) (as Teniente Regino Fariñas: Cuban version) (as R. Farinas)
Arquímedes Fonseca	....	military advisor (Russian version) (as A. Fonseca)
Arquímedes Fonseca	....	military advisor (Cuban version) (as Capitán Arquímedes Fonseca)
Laura García	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as L. Garcia)
Pavel Grushko	....	executive in charge of translations
Saturnino Miguel	....	assistant to director (Russian version) (as M. Saturnino)
Manuel J. Mora	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as M. Mora)
Rubén Negrín	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as R. Negrin)
Roberto Romay	....	production administrator (Russian version) (as R. Romay)
Jorge Rouco	....	production assistant
Konstantin Stenkin	....	production assistant (Russian version) (as Konstantin Steñkin: Cuban version) (as K. Stenkin)
Armando Suez	....	choreographer (Russian version) (as A. Sues)
Eduardo Valdés Rivero	....	production administrator
Eduardo Valdés Rivero	....	production assistant
T. Vargina	....	production assistant
Ávila	....	title designer (uncredited in Russian version)

Production Companies

• Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)
• Mosfilm

Distributors

• Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC) (1964) (Cuba) (theatrical)
• Milestone Film & Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Contact Film Cinematheek (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• trigon-film (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitles)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fandango (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion (????) (France) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Mr Bongo Films (2007) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Kinostudiya "Mosfilm"  production unit

Also Known As:

Я - Куба (Soviet Union: Russian title)
I Am Cuba
Me, Kuba (Soviet Union: Georgian title)
Ya Kuba (Soviet Union: Russian title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

Soviet Union | Cuba

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Italy:T (2005) | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Finland:K-12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Cuba

Company:

Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)

Trivia:

This film got one prize in technical competition in Milan in 1964, during the 6th UNIATEK congress.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Mariano repeatedly fires and cocks his bolt-action rifle, but no shell casings are ejected.

Quotes:

Pedro: I used to think the most terrifying thing in life is death. Now I know the most terrifying thing in life is life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Boogie Nights (1997)

Ultimate in Choreography

One of the advantages of making a propaganda film in communist countries is that you have full support of the government that you are favoring. With that in mind, it's no wonder that a film of this magnitude could be made only in a communist country (before it went bankrupt). Soy Cuba surprises the viewer over and over again as you expect the camera to cut, and just as you expect it to, it doesn't and whoosh, you're underwater, or you've just flown out a window and hover above a funeral procession of massive proportions. I ponder the planning it must have taken to concoct such long takes with each moment so thoughtfully planned out. As much as most people will credit this film with fabulous cinematography (which it arguably has), it is a direct result of the complex direction by Mikheil Kalatozishvili that gives the film its flow and strength. Long takes become boring if the rhythm of the film is not well choreographed (some Tarkovsky films have this problem, but not all). Soy Cuba is never boring. Of course, what is most interesting is to see Havana in all it's beauty just after Fidel's revolution and then to contrast that with the Cuba seen in Buena Vista Social Club. It says it all about the politics of this film. This one is purely worth watching for the choreography and cinematography, not for the silly ideology. This is required viewing for all filmmakers.