Cinema Revolution: Cuba

One Way or Another

(De cierta manera)

"A group of us got together and said, ‘Hey, you know, what if we were using film as a vehicle so people could tell their own stories about taking control of their media?'" Gary Cunningham, Neil Sieling, and Denise Mayotte remember the genesis, growth, and ultimate dissolution of the Neighborhood Media Project (1979–1982).

The Neighborhood Media Project, which screened some 60 films at community centers across the Twin Cities from 1979 to 1982, took inspiration from both revolutionary Cuba's mobile cinemas and from Cuban films included in its screening roster. Its organizers were drawn to the work of Cuban filmmakers who explored their politics and reflect them in both the form and content of their films. Cuban cinema presented a chance for these beliefs to be presented not as an alternative to dominant culture but rather as the culture and politics of the nation itself—a truly exciting concept for a grassroots leftist community group.