March 24, 2026

In the shadow of an imperial hegemon and with severe restrictions on its ability to trade and access resources, Cuba may appear as an enigma to audiences curious about the type of cinema that has emerged from such conditions.

The Cuban revolution of 1959 caused a radical break in the development of the country’s cinema. Film-making existed before “this moment of effervescence” but was historically an imitation of Hollywood-style film-making, according to Jessica Gordon-Burroughs, a lecturer in Latin American studies at the University of Edinburgh. In contrast, the first decade after the revolution heralded “a very exciting and innovative time, both politically and aesthetically in Cuba”.