5 Movies to Watch Before Visiting Cuba

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So you’re going to Cuba, but you want to know a little more about the country before you go. What is a traveler to do? Well, I wrote a post about books to read before visiting Cuba, but what if you don’t like books? Or don’t have enough time to read? Or you just hate my recommendations (ouch)? Fret not! THAT’S WHY TV WAS INVENTED!! Watch some Cuban movies!

I’ve come up with a list of movies to fill you in on the history, culture, and the Cuban people. Well, at least a small snippet of it!

The Cuba Libre Story

This is actually what got me started on my “Cuban Movies” journey. I stumbled across The Cuba Libre Story while searching documentaries. Since I was headed to Cuba anyways, I thought, why not?

It changed my life.

Admittedly, I knew very little of Cuba and its history. I knew it was in the Caribbean and a missile crisis that brought about an embargo. Dats it. This documentary is SO GOOD, I can’t stress it enough. It goes all the way back to modern history, when good ol’ Columbus arrived in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, there’s not much known before then because, yanno, the indigenous people were all but wiped out #colonizationsux. It also touches on Cuba’s pre-Revolution economy, politics, and how the Mafia embedded themselves into Cuba. I also thinks it gives a great overview of the Revolution, Cuba’s involvement in the Cold War, and how Castro’s regime divided the country. This documentary is a great jump start into learning more about Cuba. Plus, the historians and researchers are HILARIOUS. Also, it’s on Netflix. Start here.

Buena Vista Social Club

This movie was actually recommended by my Cuban host. It’s an old Cuban movie (1999), so not exactly my cup of tea, but there was some good stuff in it. Burns Vista Social Club is about a bunch of forgotten old Cuban musicians coming out of retirement to reignite their careers. Also, it is about recapturing the “lost” magic of Cuban music before the Revolution. You follow the lives of these musicians and see the island through their eyes. It’s a good movie to learn more about Cuban music and the life of a musician in Cuba. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty moving. If you are a fan of music or music history, this one if definitely for you. There was a recent sequel released, Buena Vista Social Club: Adios, but I haven’t seen it yet.

Death of a Bureaucrat

Another Cuban movie recommended by my host. And it is also an old movie…but if you like those classic Cuban movies, then this is a good one. It is a little more on the humorous side as well. The story follows a widow after the untimely death of her husband. Her husband was buried with his union card. Apparently, the widow needs the card to claim her pension. Thus begins the long and tedious fight against the bureaucracy to retrieve the card and have her husband reburied.

The tone of the film is very sarcastic, which I loved. It was also a Cuban movie made IN Cuba and was forbidden to leave the country. But like most great Cuban artwork, someone smuggled it out. I don’t know much about artsy film, but I think the cinematography was great. There was a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism. Plus, the film did a nice job of showing how society and government worked during that time by using humor.

Celia

Celia is a series, so grab some popcorn. If you have never heard of Latin music legend and Guarachera of the world Celia Cruz, then this is a good one for you.  It starts from her musical beginnings in Cuba to a world famous singer. Her band – La Sonora Matancera. She left Cuba to conquer the global market in other languages and is the most renowned singer in salsa music. A little bit of sass, a little bit of music, and a whole lotta #bossbabe. Who run the world again? Cuban movies. Plus, it’s on Netflix.

Motorcycle Diaries

Again, recommended by my host. Imagine a med student and a biochemist taking a long South American road trip. On bikes. This is the basis of Motocycle Diaries. The story follows none other than Ernesto Guevara de la Serna – Fuser to his friends and later, Che. Like most wanderlusters out there, they want to see all the things they’ve only ever heard or read about. And like every great roadtrip, there are lots of problems. Che is an integral part of Cuban history. I chose to list this Cuban movie about Che, instead of a standard documentary, because it’s more entertaining. Also, it shows a more relatable version of Che and his background.

Papa

First of all, shoutout to Ana from @chasingwildgusts for the recommendation! You know how Hemingway is literally plastered on everything in Cuba? Well, not everything, that would be Che, but he’s very important in Cuban history as well. This movie is about a young journalist who travels to Havana to meet Ernest Hemingway himself. It’s a good Cuban movie substitute for reading one of Hemingway’s books. It’s on Netflix.

So there you have it! My top recommendations for Cuban movies! Movies are definitely not my strong suit, so if you have more suggestions, leave them in the comments below! Have you overdosed in Cuban movies yet? Do you guys watch foreign films? Do you prefer movies or documentaries?

To learn more about Cuban culture, check out my interview with a local Cuban debunking common myths and misconceptions about Cuba!

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