Our Videos for Havana Times
HAVANA TIMES – It had never occurred to me to make videos. The first ones I filmed were in Old Havana because the Historic Center boasts attractive architecture, and if captured in images, the memory of the oldest part of the city is preserved.
Its walls transport us to another era, where the work of art matters as a distinctive mark of a country’s idiosyncrasy. It’s not just a place for leisure; there are wonderful stories, most of which we don’t even know. I imagine it needs to be studied in depth.
At the end of 2018, I started making some videos. My son played the role of editor. A friend of mine taught him an editing program, which he quickly learned. He later took a course at the Cuban Television Studies Center. I had studied to be a Director’s Assistant at the same place.
The result was satisfactory; he, along with another young man, received the highest grades. Leonardo’s video was a tribute to George Harrison on the occasion of his 76th birthday (it was actually his 77th), which HT published at that time. He created it using photographs and videos of the English musician. I did most of the selection, but he also contributed ideas. I think it’s one of the best we’ve done.
I remember one I recorded at the Riomar building here in La Puntilla, our neighborhood in Miramar. I spent more than two hours there, going through the floors of the large five-block structure, which still stands despite the violent storms that have battered it in its decades of abandonment. I must tell you, it was frightening to be among so many destroyed apartments, in the midst of solitude and silence. At times, I imagined being in a horror movie; I got into so many nooks and crannies that I didn’t know how to get out afterward. For the soundtrack, we selected a song by Roy Orbison and a fragment from Lost in Madrid by Miles Davis.
Filming at the Colon Cemetery was intense. There were two tombstones that left me devastated; they were for two children with the same last name. Above were the photographs of the little ones, who couldn’t have been more than ten years old, judging by their faces.
I remember the alternative exhibitions of the Havana Biennial and another one at the 26th Street Zoo. The first included a tour of the Havana Malecon, the Art Factory, and the Cuba Pavilion. The second shows images of caged animals, something I can’t tolerate.
On the other hand, cats had their moment in the spotlight. We chose photographs of actors and actresses posing with their cats. For example, there’s Marlon Brando, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. Additionally, there are numerous works of art by different painters.
Ring Them Bells, with the enigmatic song by Bob Dylan in the background, was our latest work for HT. It features paintings by famous artists, photographs by Diane Arbus, and some taken by me.
During the pandemic, in that discouraging lockdown, my son dedicated himself to making videos with Michael Jackson’s music and with songs by the Korean group BTS. In these videos, he is the dancer. All the choreographies are inspired by these artists.
Lately, we’ve started working together again on a different type of project. They’re now called “reels” and are short in duration. If you’re interested in watching them, they’re posted on his Instagram page, also on TikTok. Search for “Tortilla Cubana” and you’ll find them.
The themes are somewhat peculiar, with allegories to manga series and advertisements with touches of irony. I promise they’re special and very fun. Both of us perform in them.
Finally, here are some titles of our videos published in Havana Times.