‘A common feature in most new businesses is the need to give us a version of ‘Who We Are’ and ‘What We Do’ but, in this case, perhaps this needs to be preceded by “Why”. Or rather by “Why now,” given the remarkable good timing of our efforts to establish a full service media production company in Cuba.
Before having the wonderful opportunity to make movies professionally, or in other words, to be a dreamer that gets paid for the privilege, I was just a regular dreamer, happily unemployed and traveling devil-may-care around the world.
One of my stopping points in such a flamboyant rite of passage was the island of Cuba. A friend was the accredited diplomat, and he was kind enough to be a host to his hopeless young artist friend.
It is no deep secret that the island of Cuba holds a special mythic place in Latin American lore well before it became as fashionable in the First World, especially after the end of the Cold War. When the Cold War tensions were running high, and the U.S. governments tried to impose their way none too subtlety, by hook or by crook, many felt a great deal of sympathy for the Cuban defiance. The sentiment was shared unanimously in Latin America, regardless of class or politics. Imagine, then, how a young photographer would romanticize this place before even setting foot in it.
When I did, I found the place fulfilled its romantic legend in spades. I should expand on this at a later time, but suffice to say that it was not a visit one would easily forget.
