Sinposis

WITH THE RECENT SHIFT IN CUBA-US RELATIONS STEMMING FROM THE RELAXING OF TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND AN INFLUX OF AMERICAN VISITORS, INTEREST IN CUBA AND ITS CULTURE HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. A NEW EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE ISLAND COUNTRY'S MANY CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS, SPECIFICALLY IN FILM. CUBAN CINEMA IS RECOGNIZED AROUND THE WORLD AS HAVING PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST CELEBRATED WORKS ORIGINATING FROM LATIN AMERICA_SUCH AS FRESA Y CHOCOLATE AND LA MUERTE DE UN BUROCRATA_AS WELL AS MANY PROMINENT ARTISTS_INCLUDING DIRECTORS TOMAS GUTIERREZ ALEA AND HUMBERTO SOLAS. IN A CUBAN CINEMA COMPANION, EDITORS SALVADOR JIMENEZ MURGUIA, SEAN O'REILLY, AND AMANDA MCMENAMIN HAVE ASSEMBLED A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ABOUT MORE THAN100 FILMS ACROSS SIX DECADES, INCLUDING FEATURE FILMS, DOCUMENTARIES, AND ANIMATION. THESE ENTRIES ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON DIRECTORS, ACTRESSES, AND ACTORS OF CUBAN CINEMA. ENTRIES RANGE FROM FILMS LIKE RETRATO DE TERESA TO BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB AND INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH FILM'S PLOT, THEMES, AND CRITICAL COMMENTARY, AS WELL AS COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCTION DETAILS AND BRIEF SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING.