Watch Cuba And The Cameraman

Cuba and the Cameraman is a 2017 documentary directed and produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Alpert. The film chronicles the lives of ordinary Cuban people over the course of their country's political and economic upheaval spanning five decades. The film documents the lives of three Cuban families: the Cortos, the Del Toros, and the Diego family, over a period of more than 45 years. Alpert, who first visited Cuba in the 1970s, has maintained relations with these families over the years, allowing viewers to gain a deeper appreciation of the personal effects of the country's political and economic landscape.

The film serves as an excellent representation of both the good and the bad that have impacted the island nation since the 1960s. Through interviews with the families, Alpert is able to present an honest assessment of Cuba's Communist government and its shortcomings, as well as the challenges that ordinary Cubans face on a daily basis.

The film is a testament to Alpert's respect and love for the Cuban people, and his ability to portray them with fairness, respect, and nuance. The piece is so well done, in fact, that for many viewers it becomes difficult not to fall in love with the characters themselves, and to feel the same sense of loss and nostalgia that they express as they describe their country's past.

Alpert's journey starts in the 1970s, through the Cortos, a Cuban family who were poor street vendors in Havana. The film portrays their struggles, hardships, and successes, as they move from selling trinkets on the street to building a successful farming business. Their story is a microcosm of Cuba's tumultuous history, which includes the Cuban Missile Crisis, the embargo, and the Special Period in the country's recent history.

Next up, the Del Toros come into the picture. They are a theatre family who were successful in pre-Revolution Havana. Alpert's interviews with them touch on the initial enthusiasm for the revolution, the dangerous political climate, and the eventual decline of their family's livelihood. The Del Toros, like the Cortos, are proud of their country but are left with a sense of disillusionment and despair about the future.

Finally, the Diego family, one of Cuba's wealthiest families before the revolution, become the focus. The Diego Family's journey is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all. They are an older family whose businesses and properties were confiscated after the revolution, turning them from wealthy landowners to day laborers. However, despite the dramatic change in their circumstances, they remain proud and resilient, illustrating the strength of the Cuban people in times of adversity.

Cuba and the Cameraman is an astonishingly relevant film, particularly given the continued challenges and changes that Cuba faces today. The film provides a detailed glimpse into the complexities of Cuban politics, as well as the ingenuity and resilience of its people. Watching it, viewers will be transported into a world that is both familiar and foreign, with a deep sense of empathy and pathos.

Cuba And The Cameraman is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.2 and a MetaScore of 82.