Yale Series Commemorates 50 Years of Revolution in Cuba
For Immediate Release
Contact: Marilyn Wilkes (203) 432-3413
Yale Series Commemorates 50 Years of Revolution in Cuba
September 30, 2008. New Haven, CT � Exploring the significance, impact and legacies of the Cuban Revolution on the eve of its fiftieth anniversary, “50 Years of Revolution in Cuba” is a series of events that begins October 2 and runs through December 3, 2008 at Yale University (event details below). It brings together the views and unique perspectives of premier intellectuals, filmmakers, and activists with long-standing, often deeply personal roots in the political process of the Revolution.
“Few events shaped world politics during the second half of the Twentieth Century as profoundly as the Cuban Revolution of 1959,” said Lillian Guerra, Assistant Professor of History, and series organizer. “Together, these events will provide the opportunity to engage the complex problems and conflicts raised by revolutionary Cuba from a diversity of academic, personal, historic and political perspectives.”
The series includes presentations by historic figures such as Carlos Franqui, one of the central founders of the underground struggle against the Batista dictatorship who became one of Fidel Castro’s top advisors and then his principal critic in the early years of the Revolution. Equally formidable is the public lecture offered by Elizabeth (‘Betita”) Sutherland Martínez, a key leader of the Civil Rights Movement and Chicano liberation struggles who was also a principal observer and analyst of the contradictory reality created by Communism in Cuba during the mid- 1960s. In a joint panel presentation, leading scholars Jorge Domínguez of Harvard University, Alejandro de la Fuente of the University of Pittsburgh and Peter Kornbluh of the National Security Archive will assess how the stagnancy of US policy toward Cuba and Fidel’s unique brand of authoritarianism have framed understandings of Cuba, seeking to move beyond traditional perspectives in light of present-day challenges. In addition, filmmakers Adolfas Mekas and Glenn Gebhard will present and discuss their films documenting the daily life and attitudes of Cubans living the Revolution. Separated by nearly thirty years in time, Mekas’s rarely seen “Compañeras y Compañeros” (1969) and Gebhard’s “Cuba: A Lifetime of Passion” (2006) invite viewers to consider how images and image-making have contributed to the mythification and popular transcendence over time.
50 Years of Revolution in Cuba Series Events
October 2 at 10:00am
50 Years of Revolution in Cuba: Significance, Transcendence and Legacies
Carlos Franqui
A leading figure in Cuban journalism and literary circles since the 1940s. As the principal founder of the underground press that combated the Batista dictatorship after 1952, Franqui played a central role in the 26th of July Movement, directing the newspaper Revolución from 1959-1963 and championing free cultural exchange and expression in Cuba until his exile in 1968. A prolific writer of books, essays and poetry, Franqui remains a key voice in the struggle for freedom in Cuba.
Attendance requires registration. To register, contact lillian.guerra@yale.edu. Room 401, HGS, 320 York Street
Sponsored by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies at the MacMillan Center, and the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund.
October 15
6:30pm Reception; 7:00pm Screening
Discussion with director to follow.
“Companeras y Companeros”
directed by Adolfas Mekas
Considered a pivotal figure in the development of New American Cinema in the 1960s and 70s, Mekas wrote and directed six feature films, including “Compañeras y Compañeros”, a film highlighting the achievements of the Revolution in 1969. In addition to founding and directing the Film Department at Bard College since 1971, Mekas also edited Film Culture magazine for over thirty years and published six books of short stories.
Sterling Memorial Lecture Hall, 120 High St (use the High Street entrance).
Sponsored by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies at the MacMillan Center, and the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund.
October 23 at 7:00pm
A Personal History of Activism
Elizabeth Sutherland Martínez
The first Latina to graduate from Swarthmore College in 1946, “Betita” Martínez played a central role in the Civil Rights Movement. She pioneered the Chicano movement, founding its newspaper, El Grito del Norte, and co-founding the Chicano Communications Center. Martínez is the author of The Youngest Revolution.
Ezra Stiles College,
19 Tower Parkway
Sponsored by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies at the MacMillan Center, the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund, ER&M, La Casa Cultural, and Ezra Stiles College.
November 6 at 7:00pm
The Implications, Lessons and Legacies Of Fidel Castro’s Revolution For Cuba and the United States
Alejandro De La Fuente, University of Pittsburgh; Jorge Dominguez, Harvard University; & Peter Kornbluh, National Security Archive; Cuba And Chile Documentation Projects
Sterling Memorial Lecture Hall, 120 High Street (use the High Street entrance)
Sponsored by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies at the MacMillan Center, and the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund.
December 3 at 7:00pm
Documentary Filmmaking in Cuba: Screening and Discussion
Glenn Gebhar
An award-winning film and video producer as well as director of documentaries and narrative films on a wide range of topics and themes, Gebhard has completed six documentaries on contemporary Cuba, including a four-part series shot between 1994 and 1996 called “Cuba at the Crossroads.” A professor at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television in Los Angeles, Gebhard is currently working on a documentary feature film titled “Patria or Muerte: Fidel Castro, Nationalism and the Cuban Revolution.”
Sterling Memorial Lecture Hall, 120 High Street (use the High Street entrance)
Sponsored by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies at the MacMillan Center, and the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund.
Contact Information:
Marilyn Wilkes
The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale
(203) 432-3413