The premiere of the documentary “Fidel and Socialist Cuba – Burning the Skies”, by Brazil in factin Rio de Janeiro (RJ), brought together around 40 people on Thursday (10), at the Cineclube Casas Casadas, in Laranjeiras, south of the capital. After the session, the audience participated in a debate with journalist and director Rodrigo Chagas about the production of the film and the current situation in Cuba.
Organized by the Carioca Committee for Solidarity with Cuba, the activity took place amid the rain that hit Rio and ended with applause from the public. Carmen Diniz, coordinator of the Committee, says that the questions focused mainly on the film’s choices and production process, but also on living conditions on the island given the tightening of the blockade imposed by the United States.
“People are curious, of course, to know, from a reliable source, from journalists, from serious journalism, the current situation in Cuba, how people are living with this resurgence of the blockade”, explained Diniz.
Chagas was part of the team that spent 14 days in Cuba during the recordings, which took place mainly in Havana and surrounding cities. The documentary is directed by the journalist and executive produced by Igor Carvalho. For Diniz, the presence of the journalist from Brazil in fact allowed the debate to move on to experiences, impressions and situations experienced during production that did not make it into the 46 minutes of the final version.
“Although the film shows a lot, it was very important to be able to count on Rodrigo here, because he is a person who spent 14 days there. So, in addition to the film, [ele trouxe] the general impressions and the things that could not be shown, because it would not be possible; the film would have to be four hours long,” he said.
For Diniz, the session allowed discussing the Cuban reality without ignoring the difficulties faced by the country or idealizing the situation. “This is the role of the Carioca Committee, and the Brazil in factof bringing people a bit of reality without defeatism and without romanticizing, at the same time, the situation”, he stated.
A different audience at the film club
The screening also brought people to Cineclube Casas Casadas who don’t usually follow its programming. Diniz highlighted the presence of different age groups and, particularly, young people in an activity dedicated to Fidel Castro and the Cuban socialist experience.
For the coordinator, spaces like the film club allow the public to get closer to a reality that not everyone has direct access to. She stated that the Committee intends to hold other screenings of the documentary in Rio de Janeiro.
Filmmaker and producer Cavi Borges, one of the organizers of Cineclube Casas Casadas, also drew attention to the change in the profile of the activity. “It was really cool because it changed the profile of the film society a little, in the sense that we didn’t just talk about cinema. We could talk about Cuba, talk about socialism, talk about Fidel”, he stated.
The film club has been operating in person for around a year, with free sessions every Thursday at 6pm, and is part of an initiative that began three years ago, initially with online activities.
Founder of Cavídio, Borges works as a director, producer, distributor and exhibitor on the independent circuit. Among his works as a director are “City of God – 10 Years Later”, co-directed with Luciano Vidigal, as well as the short film “A Distação de Ivan”, co-directed with Gustavo Melo and shown during the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. As a producer, he participated in “Kasa Branca”, directed by Vidigal.
Film clubs as a screening alternative
For Borges, the “Fidel and Socialist Cuba – Burn the Skies” session is also part of a broader discussion about the difficulties faced by independent cinema in reaching the public. Casas Casadas’ programming prioritizes Brazilian productions and welcomes short, medium-length and feature films, series and tributes to names in cinema.
“The film club, in essence, is a possibility of expanding the exhibition and distribution of these independent films that cannot reach cinemas, which sometimes do not have space to be shown”, he stated.
Borges assesses that the circulation of works has become one of the main bottlenecks in Brazilian audiovisual production. “Nowadays we can produce, but we have a lot of difficulty distributing, exhibiting. So, not only the Cineclube Casas Casadas, but all the other film clubs that take place here in Rio, which are many, serve as an alternative exhibition space”, he said.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
