Baracoa. 500 Years Later

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Baracoa, the small town surrounded by mountains and rivers, is immersed in its own legend and in the work and dreams of its people. It prevails half a millennium from the day in which Christopher Columbus planted the “Parra” Cross on its shore. It was Cuba’s initial capital.

Baracoa knew of few splendorous years and as centuries passed, was kept isolated from the rest of the island. Baracoa is peculiar in its geography, its history, and the spirit of its current inhabitants. This film is about them.

While the town prepares to commemorate its 500th anniversary, a girl who celebrates her 15th birthday, a basketball trainer who prepares his team for a tournament in Havana, a radio announcer who encourages the people to strive, a mother who raises her children by herself, an ex-boxing champ, and other characters from Baracoa, weave a vital mosaic which is also a biography of the country.

"This documentary describes an historic yet primitive village as perhaps a microcosm of the Cuban nation, which is proud of its history, accustomed to a simple life, and at the same time hopeful to find a better future. The final scene culminates in a message of pride for the past and optimism for the future. This insightful documentary provides a realistic picture of the Cuban people living in the coastal area and should be recommended for university students interested in Cuban culture and history." — Dana Ward, Anthropology Review Database

"There are no interviews in the documentary...characters simply live their lives in front of the camera...They weave a vital mosaic that is a biography of the island...They give a life lesson to those who believe that possessions are all that maters. The aim is to show how people live there, how is it possible to have a life where values are still important and be happy with so little...Baracoa. 500 Years Later is a tribute to those who think that is not happier the one who has more, but the one who loves what he/she has..." — Rocío García, El País

"In sharing a rare glimpse of a simpler life in this natural paradise, this film provides a biography of Cuba as an island." — Arizona International Film Festival

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Main credits

Vicent, Mauricio (film director)
Díaz Ravelo, Daniel (film producer)

Other credits

Cinematography, Luis Najmías, Jr.; editor, José Lemuel; music, Pedro Luis Ferrer, Lena Ferrer.

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Keywords

Christopher Columbus, Cuba, Havana, colonialism, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,,afro latin america, black latin america, afro latino, afro latinx, afro latina, black latino, black latinx, black latina, afro latin, afro-americanism, afro-brazilian, afro-cuban, afro-haitian, afro-colombian, afro-dominican, afro-mexican, afro-puertorican, afro-honduran, afro-bolivian, afro-argentinian, afro-chilean, afro-peruvian, afro-nicauraguan, afro-guatemalan,afro-caribbean, diaspora, slave trade,anthropologically, cultural anthropology, forensic anthropology, anthropologist, human nature, physical anthropology, ethnocentric, ethnography, functionalism, cultures, societies, human people, human society, functionalism, globalization, ideology, pragmatism, dogmatism, social change, society,racism, discrimination, prejudice, ethnicity, ethnic, race studies, ethnic studies, racist, racial sensitivity, bias, prejudice, racial prejudice, ethnic prejudice, genetics, hereditary, culture, ethnic culture, ethnology, ethnography, ethnic sensitivity,culture, identity, identity politics, culture wars, left wing, right wing, intersectionality, identity groups, civilization, literacy, humanism, cancel culture, online culture, cultural revolution, cultural diffusion, culture shock, popular culture, pop culture, material culture, cultural capital, cultural assimilation ,history, context, narrative, past, chronicle, lore, annals, historic, personal history, archive, record, saga, biography, memoir, study,geography, location, place, country, location, physical place, terrain, spatial awareness, territory, map, place, space, maps, cartography, countries, cities, mountains, territories, states, nations, borders, boundaries, topology, topography,caribbean studies, the caribbean, caribeean sea, caribbean island, antigua and barbuda, bahamas, barbados, cuba, dominica, dominican republic, grenada, haiti, jamaica, saint kitts and nevis, st lucia, st vincent and the grenadines, and trinidad and tobago, anguilla, aruba, british virgin islands, caribbean netherlands, bonaire, sint eustatius, saba, cayman islands, curaçao, guadeloupe, martinique, montserrat, puerto rico, saint barthélemy, saint martin/sint maarten, turks and caicos islands, us virgin islands; "Baracoa. 500 Years Later"; Pragda Films