The Film

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The Cubans call it "El Bloqueo" and we Americans call it "The Embargo," but either way it means we haven't been able to get to know one of our closest neighbors for over fifty years. That is until now. On July 1, 2015 it was announced that the United States and Cuban governments will reopen embassies in each others' countries. These impending political changes explain the surge in stories and interest about Cuba. This is a dramatic moment of change for both countries and you can be a part of it!

In 1998, I traveled to Cuba and fell in love with the country and its people. Inspired to make a documentary, I returned four times in the following seventeen years and filmed more than 75 hours of footage which center on art, music, daily life and a series of interviews with four people who’ve lived under Castro's regime. I questioned three people extensively about how the embargo had affected their lives. The trip I took in 2015 was most interesting because I got to see how they felt about the recent political changes and what they hope it will mean for their future. The embassies have reopened but the embargo is still in effect, with no definite notion of if or when it might be lifted

In addition to the three subjects I've been following, I've interviewed historians and scholars including Olga Portuondo, the head of the National Historical Society in Santiago de Cuba, and Dr. Eduardo Torres Cuevas, professor of Political Science at the University of Havana.

Cuba in Transition is timely. It gives us an important and intimate look into Cuba and its people.