Weekend in Havana

Produced before the recent downturn in U.S.-Cuban relations, this PBS-aired documentary hosted by Geoffrey Baer looks at contemporary life in Havana, a colorful historic city in a country that is coming out of 50 years of isolation and struggling to find its place in the modern world. Cuba has a history of being dominated by foreign powers, first Britain, then Spain, and finally by the Soviet Union. One third of its population descended from slaves, and the African influence is still strong, not only in music and dance, but also in the practice of Santería, an African religion. Music and dance represent a joyful expression of Cuban life and a way of surviving stressful conditions. At night, Havana's residents flock to the historic waterfront Malecón, simply known as "Havana's living room," where everyone seems to know one another. In recent years, Cuba's Communist economy has relaxed its rules on free enterprise, resulting in small family-run restaurants and hotels, often located in private homes. Cuba shares a love for baseball with America (Baer notes one of Cuba's cultural paradoxes: trading cards of revolutionary figures are as eagerly sought as sports cards). This cultural travelogue also highlights Havana's historic architecture and the prevalence of vintage America cars, repaired and kept running through ingenuity and necessity during the long trade embargo. The locals do not apologize for Cuba's revolutionary past, but are filled with hope and humor as they face the future in this "faded jewel" of the Caribbean. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)