MovieChat Forums > Habana Blues (2005) Discussion > Is this really a Cuban movie?

Is this really a Cuban movie?


It's strange to see everyone here discussing this film as Cuban, when in fact it is only partially Cuban. Granted, it takes place in Habana, the cast is mostly Cuban, but the director, the writers, the producers and many of the crew members are from Spain, and the money to make it came from Spain and France. In a way, the film itself exemplifies one of the conflicts it shows: Spanish entrepreneurs loaded with cash, hunting for "talent" in cash-deprived Cuba, selling the product as "authentic" Cuban material, and then making good profits, thanks to this supposed authenticity. Most of the audience, however, will probably miss how problematic this is, concentrating instead in the family melodrama, in the excitement of the music and the Cuban scenery, or in the (frankly banal) discussions about what it means to be a "real" artist. Did anyone else feel the same way? I'm curious about what other people think about this.

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