Reeling in the (Cuban) Years!

A little late (I was away at a conference when it was published) here is a link to my review of

the First Havana/Glasgow Film Festival that the Morning Star published last Thursday.

Conducta - Five star film

The review was necessarily edited and lost the ratings I gave the films I saw (for the record they were; Conducta - *****; Mi Dicen Cuba - *** and Boccaccerios Habaneros - ****).

The overall standard of the films I saw was very good indeed, and it is quite salutary to realise, that if it hadn't been for this new film festival, people in Glasgow (and elsewhere in the UK) would have had little or no opportunity to see them. 

I think that it is also significant that, despite some levels of support from some local institutions - Glasgow City Council, Glasgow School of Art, GFT, and the bar, Mango amongst others - the Festival's organiser, Eirene Houston, expended a considerable outlay of both money and time to bring it to Glasgow.

We must ensure that this First Festival isn't the last. There is quite clearly a major cinematic ferment in Havana which it would be important to see, and even if and when that is covered, the theme could surely be broadened to cover other Latin American countries. Of course, also usefully explored could be our western view of Cuba (touched on in the festival with the showing of In Cuba They're Still Dancing). 

Let's make sure this is the first of many

The other thing we must ensure is that the infrastructure that makes everything happen, isn't suspended from such a shoogly nail!