Cuba Documentaries: 4 Controversial Films Made About Cuba

Of the documentary films made about Cuba, many have concentrated on the music and others on the culture, while some are about the ordinary Cuban. However, some of the films have raised controversy in their content, upsetting both the authorities in Havana and in Washington. Controversial topics include the struggle of people under the regime, the truth about the revolution, and the effects of the U.S. embargo on everyday life on the island.

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Four of the most controversial films made about Cuba are:

1. "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"
The controversy surrounding stock of oil has raged for the last decade. This documentary focuses on Cuban people and how, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, they adapted to living with low oil supplies. Despite having the U.S.-imposed embargo on imports, the people have survived in the struggling economy, cutting down on oil-based solutions and focusing on life without fossil fuels.

2. "The True Story of Che Guevara"
This 2007 documentary refutes Che Guevara as a hero of the revolution and attempts to show the activist of the 1960s actually was a cold-blooded killer of dissidents who ordered countless executions in the jails of Havana. The film has come under countless criticisms from fans of Guevara.

3. "Here Was Cuba"
This 2013 documentary covers the era of the early 1960s and how close the world came to a nuclear war. Using previously unseen footage and interviews, this controversial film meets with aging White House and Kremlin insiders to give a view on how the world nearly came to an end over Cuba in the time of strained relations between superpowers. The makers raise tough questions over U.S. policy and who was in control of government at the time.

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4. "Three Cubans"
This 1960s documentary following the lives of three Cubans from vastly different backgrounds was made unusually with the cooperation of both the U.S. and Cuban authorities. The filmmakers encountered many obstacles from the CIA, though, and struggled to finish the documentary. The directors spoke to people on conditions of anonymity to get a different view on life under Castro.

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