Great Day in Havana

Artistic life in contemporary Cuba is the subject of Laurie Ann Schag and Casey Stoll's proficient but technically conventional documentary in which the filmmakers visit with writers, painters, musicians, sculptors, and other filmmakers working in Havana to illustrate the vibrant nature of the city's culture. Yet, while Great Day in Havana may be valuable for introducing the work of these talented creators and performers to an audience unfamiliar with them, it might even be more significant for what it reveals about their attitudes; interviewees express a level of commitment to the ideals of the revolution that will probably surprise Americans who assume that the Cuban intelligentsia must necessarily be in favor of rapprochement with the United States and opposed to the Castro regime (one of the themes here is the resiliency of the island's populace and its determination to hold fast to the socialist program even in the face of the continuing American embargo and the loss of Soviet support). But while this film will not be particularly comforting to Americans hoping for a return to capitalist ideals in Cuba, it does offer a glimpse of the country's rich and variegated artistic life. DVD extras include audio commentary, music videos, spoken word poems, interviews, artwork, and more. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)