In order to properly acknowledge the good work that SIGNIS Cuba is doing I would like to first pay tribute to an important figure in Cuban cinema – Ms. Gina Preval. Gina is one of the founders of what is now SIGNIS Cuba and currently holds the title of President Emeritus, a title befitting the level of recognition that she deserves for her historical dedication and influence in the world of Cuban cinema.
Gina’s tireless efforts in promoting good cinema while steadfastly serving the Cuban Church spans a period of seven decades and serves as a true tether between the pre-revolution Cuban film community and that of the post-revolutionary period.
Pre-Revolution
Prior to the 1959 revolution the film industry in Cuba existed but it was quite sparse in nature. The first film projector was brought to Cuba in 1897 and the first film was produced on the island in 1906. In the following 53 years there were a total of 80 feature films made in Cuba.
Pope Pius XI released an encyclical on June 29, 1936 titled “On Motion Pictures.” In this letter the Pope reminded the Catholic world, “The essential purpose of art, its raison d’être, is to assist in the perfection of the moral personality, which is man, and for this reason it must itself be moral.” This encyclical inspired many Catholics worldwide who were involved in the adolescent film industry to take action. Shortly thereafter the Catholic Film Commission was formed in Cuba. The Commission’s responsibility was to promote Catholic values in film and to build strong relationships with secular society. Gina began her work with the Commission in 1947 as the person responsible for putting specific text onto films indicating whether they were “recommended” or “not recommended” by the Church.
By the 1950’s Gina had been elected President of Catholic Center Orientation Film (CCOC) as well as President of the National Board of Catholic Action. These organizations were signatories to OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual), the predecessor to SIGNIS. OCIC Cuba recognized the need for more tangible efforts in the film community and with Gina’s significant help they began publishing “Cine Guia,” a Cuban monthly film guide that provided reviews and guidance on all films released in Cuba during that time. Films exhibited in Cuba in the 1950’s came from all over the world, including a healthy influx from Europe, and with the vast majority coming from Cuba’s northern neighbor, the United States.
The CCOC was responsible for the creation of Cine-clubs. These clubs served as an opportunity for members to view select films and to hold debates on them afterwards. Sometimes the filmmakers were able to attend these screenings and to take part in the subsequent discussions and also to work with the CCOC to provide additional opportunities for film education.
The 1950’s were a special time for OCIC’s important work in Cuba. It had a major influence in the large non-metropolitan community including the six rural provinces outside of Havana. It was also during this time that Havana was honored as host for OCIC’s 8th World Congress in 1957. This was actually the first time that OCIC held their Congress in a city located outside of Europe. This event was considered to have been a great success and it was due in large part to Gina’s numerous and extensive contributions.
OCIC Cuba was now a prominent member on the world’s OCIC stage. However, it would not be long before the Cuban revolution changed everything.
Post-Revolution
With the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) in the year immediately following the revolution it is widely considered that the Cuban film industry itself changed for the better. The Cuban government was able to provide focus, effort, and desperately needed funds for the country’s filmmakers. The decade of the 1960’s was also known as the “Golden Age of Cuban Cinema.”
However, these positive changes in the film community did not occur without some negative repercussions falling upon the Church and the film-going public. In 1961 the Cuban government nationalized all property held by religious organizations, including that held by the Catholic Church. During this particular difficult time hundreds of Catholics were expelled from Cuba, including many of the leaders of the Church.
The cinemas themselves were also nationalized in the 1960’s. This move significantly reduced the important activities that OCIC had been cultivating with the country’s growing number of Cine-clubs.
The U.S. trade blockade that began in 1961 had a negative and severe impact on the economic stability of the country. However, one positive effect was that the embargo had the benefit of exposing Cubans to a much wider range of international films than ever before since those from America were no longer allowed into the country.
The decade of the 1960’s was a difficult time for the members of OCIC Cuba. As the number of Catholics diminished due to expulsion it forced those who remained behind to take on even more responsibilities with respect to the Catholic media activities. Because OCIC was highly respected within the Cuban culture, the important work that Gina and her group were doing in those years helped to maintain a mutually respectful and productive relationship between the Cuban government and the Catholic Church.
The 1960’s also saw the introduction of mobile cinemas. Due to the shortage of cinemas in the rural communities it was often difficult and geographically impossible for the rural population to be able to physically watch a film. A method was subsequently created so that films could then be delivered and shown directly to them. These mobile cinemas became very popular with those living outside of Havana and ultimately reached up to 100,000 Cubans per week in the 1970’s.
The 1970’s also saw the inauguration of the Havana International Film Festival in 1978. This annual festival has helped to further enhance Cuba’s relationship with the international film community. The first OCIC jury at this festival was in 1984. This was a significant event both inside and outside the Church and also raised awareness and expectations worldwide since this was the first time a Catholic jury had been welcome in a film festival organized in a socialist country.
It was not long after this that Cuba’s first film school was established, the International School of Film and Television, which opened its doors in 1987.
The 1990’s ushered in Cuba’s most successful and critically acclaimed film, 1993’s “Strawberry and Chocolate,” which received a Best Foreign Film nomination from America’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The “Special Period” and Current Climate
Cuba is a country of more than 11 million citizens that has undergone constant crisis in the last 20 years. The economic difficulties stemming from the early 1990’s, also known as the “Special Period,” began with the fall of the Soviet Union. This collapse prompted the withdrawal of approximately $6 billion in annual subsidies from the Soviet government that Cuba’s economy had previously and desperately relied upon.
To help combat the loss of the most significant source of funding for Cuba’s filmmakers they began to turn to other countries such as Spain in an effort to step up the level of co-production activities. These efforts have certainly helped and been fairly successful to date, but much more funding is needed.
Thankfully the Cuban Film Institute continues to directly aid in the production and distribution of Cuban films by providing production offices, issuing film permits, and renting studios and equipment to filmmakers. The also stay closely involved in each stage of the film, from inception and production to distribution and release.
It is a fact that not many citizens have personal computers in Cuba. In fact, a special permit is needed from the Cuban government for a person to obtain one. Cameras, as well, are difficult to obtain and very expensive. However, in recent years, the advent of digital technology has made cameras less expensive and filmmaking more readily available to a wider range of people.
Technology sometimes has a dark side and there has been a significant increase in pirated videos and DVD’s available within Cuba. This piracy has contributed to the closing down of movie theaters across the country. Today, for instance, there is only one commercial cinema remaining in operation in central Havana.
Throughout all of these tumultuous political and economical conditions the work of SIGNIS Cuba has continued and today includes the monitoring of its film library, which consists of approximately 2,000 videos. The majority of these films were produced in the post-revolution era though some date from the inception of the Cuban film industry in the 1910’s and 1920’s. This library, owned by the Archdiocese of Havana, serves priests, religious congregations, seminarians, and the laity as well. This extensive collection also includes numerous documentaries, some sponsored by and produced especially for SIGNIS, including a notable documentary on Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit to Cuba.
These last few years have been much better in terms of creative freedom for filmmakers as the number of productions and the quality of the work have both increased. However, there has been great frustration and difficulty in keeping the young talented filmmakers in Cuba. Once an up-and-coming director finds some initial success (for instance, by having a film received into a prestigious film festival outside of Cuba), this filmmaker finds permission to travel outside the country to showcase their film and then never again returns to Cuba. These are the young artists that are needed to fertilize, inspire, and help fortify the infrastructure of today’s Cuban film industry.
Gustavo Andújar succeeded Gina as President of SIGNIS Cuba. He continues to strengthen and guide the work that SIGNIS is doing not only within Cuba’s borders but outside them as well as he also serves as Vice-President of the World SIGNIS organization.
Aristides O'Farrill contributes his skills and artistic passion to SIGNIS Cuba by working with the film library and helping to edit and produce the Catholic publication “Ecos” which is made available to Cuban filmmakers and distributed in Cuban parishes. Aristides helps SIGNIS maintain and continue to build strong relationships with the Cuban artistic community.
One committed member of this community, also a fellow SIGNIS Cuba member, is Alberto Ramos. Alberto is one of the most respected film critics in the country and serves as the programmer of the Havana International Film Festival as well.
Gina Preval still contributes some of her time to the SIGNIS office in Havana. In 1967 she was recognized for her contributions to the Church in being awarded the Medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (1967) granted by Pope Paul VI. And most recently, at last year’s World Congress 2009, Gina was one of three recipients to receive the inaugural World SIGNIS award "for the work of life." This was in effect a lifetime achievement award for her dedication, tenacity, and inspiration for all members of SIGNIS.
Thank you to all of those individuals who have been involved in the SIGNIS Cuba organization during its long journey as your work continues to serve as a worthy role model for us all.
