Fond memories of Cuba [Widescreen]

In this film about life in modern Cuba, documentary filmmaker David Bradbury travels across the country attempting to answer the question of whether Cuba has succeeded as a socialist society, forty years after Fidel Castro’s rise to power. “Fond memories of Cuba” is a telling testament to the daily struggle for survival for the inhabitants of Cuba, many of who lament their lot in life. The film depicts a decayed country that thrives on music and culture but is incapacitated financially and crippled by the US embargo. Despite many positive reviews, Bradbury was critiqued for imposing onto this project his disillusionment with Cuba and pre-ordained notion of a society in peril, which he then sought to confirm via this work. Essentially a collection of interviews, “Fond memories of Cuba” also features many street scenes including arrests that depict police brutality. This work is interspersed with archival footage of the 1960s revolution and pre-revolution political situation, which includes discussion of the role of Che Guevara during those times. As well as a document that teases out questions of politics and society, the film also serves as a fascinating travelogue of the country’s natural beauty and enduring culture. In English and Spanish with English subtitles.