Untitled - College of Liberal Arts, CSULB

“Viva Cuba”
Thursday February 19th, LH-150, 7pm
Introductory Remarks by Dr. Gerry Riposa, Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Film Presented by Dr. Bonnie Gasior
(Dir. Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti). In a tale that echoes 'Romeo and Juliet,' the friendship between two children is threatened by their
parents' differences in Viva Cuba. Malú is from an upper-class family and her single mother does not want her to play with Jorgito, as
she thinks his background coarse and commonplace. Jorgito's mother, a poor socialist proud of her family's social standing, places
similar restrictions on her son. What neither woman recognizes is the inseverable bond between Malú and Jorgito. When the children
learn that Malú's mother is planning to leave Cuba, they decide to travel to the other side of the island to find Malú's father and
persuade him against signing the forms that would allow it. Writer/director Cremata Malberti has a great time with his material, filming
a sort of love letter to a beautiful island full of legends and mysteries. (2005: 80 minutes).
“Vampiros en La Habana”
Thursday February 26th, LH-150, 7pm
Film Presented by Dr. Nhora Serrano
(Dir. Juan Padrón). Vampires in Havana is a silly, raunchy spoof of horror and gangster films. Wolfgang Amadeus von Dracula, the
nephew of the famous count, invents a formula that allows vampires to endure sunlight--which he tests on his nephew Joseph "Pepe"
Emmanuel. It works so well that Pepe is completely unaware of his true nature; he plays jazz trumpet in a nightclub and joins a cell
plotting to overthrow a repressive general. Pepe soon finds himself dodging the general's inept henchmen and rival vampire syndicates
who want the valuable formula. Drawn in a simple, cartoony style that suggests a cross between the work of Zagrebfilm and the Mad
Magazine cartoons of Sergio Aragonés, Vampires in Havana offers American audiences a rare glimpse of the work of one of Cuba's
leading animators. (1985: 80 minutes).
“Balseros”
Thursday March 5th, LH-150, 7pm
Film Presented by Dr. Alicia del Campo
(Dir. Charles Bosch, Josep M. Domènech.) An Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, Balseros is the heartrending
yet triumphant account of seven Cuban refugees--and their families--who risked their lives to venture towards America's shores on
homemade rafts. While Presidents Clinton and Fidel Castro argued over the closing of Cuba's coast in the chaotic summer of 1994,
nearly 50,000 "balseros" (a slang term for Cuban rafters) set out towards Florida, navigating the shark-infested waters on vessels made
of wood, nails, and tar. The television reporting team of Carles Bosch and Josep M. Domènech began filming this remarkable story
during those initial 15 days. Then, as most of the rafters were picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard, Bosch and Domènech continued to
follow their lively cast of characters, some of whom were detained for more than a year at the Guantanamo naval base before finally
being allowed onto American soil. (2002: 120 minutes).
“Habana Blues”
Thursday March 12th, LH-150, 7pm
Film Presented by Dr. Al Baum
(Dir. Benito Zambrano) Habana Blues tells the story of Ruy and Tito, two young Cubans who share a common dream: to become
music stars. Their families and the same circle of friends keep them grounded yet motivated. But their lives will be transformed by an
international offer to record an album and perform abroad, causing dilemmas and affecting relations with their loved ones. Against a
backdrop where humor and universal sentiments intertwine, Habana Blues is a beautiful metaphor about dignity, friendship and love.
(2005: 115 minutes).
“Suite Habana”
Thursday March 19th, LH-150, 7pm
Film Presented by Dr. Kent Dickson
(Dir. Fernando Pérez). It’s daybreak in Havana, Cuba. The city awakens and a new day begins as the film does. Why make a movie about
a typical day in Havana? Because Havana today is a point of reference for many, a mystery for others, and a dream filled with contrasts
and contradictions for those who love or criticize it. But Havana isn’t only a space, a sound, a beacon. Havana is its people. And Suite
Habana is simply one day in the life of ten typical habaneros. There are no interviews, no dialogue, no narration; only audible images
and music are used to express cinematographically the day to day life of a peculiar and unique reality. Each of its characters represents
the interesting diversity of the different social groups that traverse the city. This movie shows that there isn’t just one Habana: on the
contrary, there are many Habanas, even some invisible, to be lived.
(2006: 85 minutes).