East of Havana (2007)
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80% of critics liked it
(15 reviews) -
39% of users liked it
(1,678 ratings)
Three talented hip-hop musicians struggle to make themselves heard in a repressive culture in this documentary from filmmakers Jauretsi Saizabitoria and Emilia Menocal. While rap and hip-hop are often cited as the most pervasive and influential musical forms to emerge in public consciousness since… More Three talented hip-hop musicians struggle to make themselves heard in a repressive culture in this documentary from filmmakers Jauretsi Saizabitoria and Emilia Menocal. While rap and hip-hop are often cited as the most pervasive and influential musical forms to emerge in public consciousness since 1980, in Cuba rappers and DJs are still waging an uphill battle to gain official acceptance. Soandry (real name Soandres Del Rio Ferrer), Magyori Martinez Veitia, and Mikki Flow (real name Michel Hermida) are three lyricists from Alamar, a small blue-collar community, who are members of a hip-hop collective known as "El Cartel." While they have talent, El Cartel are not recognized as "real" musicians under Cuba's communist government, and must scramble for a chance to perform. Mikki Flow is one of a handful of Cuban underground rappers who have organized the nation's first and only hip-hop festival, but when the threat of a hurricane gives officials an excuse to shut down the festival, Mikki and his compatriots must find a way to reorganize the gathering under the radar of the nation's official music committees. As El Cartel search for new venues for their music, Mikki, Soandry, and Magyori talk about the rise of Cuban hip-hip in the 1990s, the realities behind their conscious lyrics, and Soandry's relationship with his brother, who has defected to the United States. East of Havana was screened as part of the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.
- Directed By
- Jauretsi Saizabitoria, Emilia Menocal
- Genres
- Documentary, Musical & Performing Arts, Special Interest
- In Theaters
- Feb 2, 2007 Wide
- Studio
- Sony/BMG
Critic Reviews
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Michael Ordoņa, Los Angeles Times
A rare glimpse of everyday life in Cuba, where big questions and obstacles confront the rappers at seemingly every turn.
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Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
If you thought that the Buena Vista Social Club was all that needed to be said about Cuban music, now there's East of Havana, which is about the Cuba rap scene.
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Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly
There's a beat, but we never quite see who's dancing to it.
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Kyle Smith, New York Post
The film makes an ironic point about Cuba: This is a land where the grandparents are revolutionaries (or at least say they are) but the kids are yearning for capitalist globalization.
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Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
East of Havana celebrates Cuban rappers who tell the truth in a country that muzzles free speech.
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