Cuba

Cuba is a great film. Great in that it was produced by a first-time director; great because he cast it with people who had never faced a camera in a film before; great in the manner of its story-telling, in both the writing of that story and its unfolding before a camera; great in that its photographic accomplishments are an exceptional example of what can be accomplished with imax, and finally great, because visually, it is steps ahead of anything that has been made for imax before.

"Cuba" (2019 release; 40 min.) is a documentary made specifically for Omnimax screens (IMAX is flat screen; Omnimax is a domed screen). As the movie opens, we are treated to eye-candy shots of various places in Cuba. We then are introduced to 17 yr. old Patricia Torres, a ballerina who is trying to make it into the Cuban National Ballet troupe. Next we are introduced to Fernando Betros, Havana's official city historian who is racing against time to restore some of Havana's historical but crumbling buildings. Then we are introduced to Eusebio Leal and Daria Siciliano, who are studying Cuba's coral reefs.

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Peter Chang, who has a long track record in the making of these types of documentaries. Of course when you go see a movie at the Omnimax, the real (the only?) question is whether the photography is worth it, and to this I can unequivocally answer "YES!". I have never been to Cuba, but this documentary really has made it a bucket list item. If you haven't had the opportunity yet to see a movie in an Omnimax theater (which is so much better than an IMAX theater), I hope you will get an opportunity at some point. To be clear: "Cuba" was filmed specifically for Omnimax theaters (although it is also showing in IMAX theaters). The three main story lines used for the narrative of the movie (ballet, architecture, corral reefs) are not the only ones. There is a nice segment on the 60,000 American classic cars from the 1950s that somehow are still on the road in Cuba, and Cuban music is also featured (and used throughout the film's soundtrack).

"Cuba" opened recently at the Omnimax theater here in Cincinnati, and the Father's Day matinee screening where we saw this at was PACKED. If you like a nice documentary brought to you in the best possible experience (Omnimax), I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Peter Chang and company have won a coup by managing to get this film made during the short window when this type of project was possible, after sanctions were lifted, and before sanctions were re-imposed. And whatsmore, they were able to bring a drone into the country, which may be one or two of the only times in Cuban history that a team achieved aerial footage of the island.

In terms of the cinematography, I'll try to avoid any spoilers... but there's one incredible scene involving synchronization between high-speed sea life and the music. Who knew coral could dance?!

Saw this at the omnimax in Cincinnati. The upgraded soundtrack added a whole new layer, especially considering the new sound system. My four year old was captivated throughout, and my parents remarked it was one of the best omnimax films they had ever seen. My mom is a teacher who sees multiple films per year with her class, so that was really saying something. Well done!