CubaPLUS Magazine

The 9th edition of the Cuban Film Festival in Minnesota opened in that U.S. city with the screening of The Human Thing (La Cosa Humana), film directed by Gerardo Chijona (2016).

  The event, organized by the Committee Minnesota-Cuba, in association with the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Society and the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematograficos, will show films every Thursday until April 5, in the theater St. Anthony Main.

The Festival website in Facebook social network indicates its objective, besides entertaining, is to inform inhabitants of that State about Cuba and its culture.

According to the page, by pulling down barriers between both countries, they hope to break the sanctions of U.S. blockade against Cuba, which has gone on for over 50 years.

Through its digital portal, the Film Society of Minneapolis-St. Paul referred to the film of the opening ceremony as &a film obscurely funny and very enjoyable about a thief and author-to be who, unknowingly robs a manuscript, a work of art of a famous writer".

Despite the lightweight and humorous tone, the violence and passion are never far away from the surface, as Chijona examines the importance of culture for any given society, by emphasizing there are a multitude of voices, of writers and stories that create a nation", added the text on &The Human Thing".

Meanwhile, over the next few weeks, the public will be able to enjoy the films &Forbidden Flights" (Vuelos Prohibidos-2015), by Rigoberto Lopez; Esteban (2016) by Jonal Cosculluela and &The Roof" (El Techo-2016) by Patricia Ramos.

The program for March 29 will be &Cuba and the Cameraman" (2017), a documentary by U.S. filmmaker Jon Alpert, who since 1972 compiled over a thousand hours of shooting, following three Cuban families and the historic leader of the Revolution of the Caribbean island, Fidel Castro.

For the end of the event on April 5 two documentaries were reserved to pay tribute to the sound wealth of the island. They call me Cuba (2014), by Pablo Massip, which explores the experiences and perspectives of famous contemporary Cuban musicians; and Looking for Chano Pozo (1987) by Rebeca Chavez, about the worldwide famous bongo player.