New Waves: Memories of Underdevelopment

Based on Edmundo Desnoes novel and presented here in a new 4k restoration, Toms Gutirrez Aleas Memories of Underdevelopment (1968) is a fictional meditation on disillusionment in post-revolutionary Cuba. Left behind by his wife and family, the protagonist Sergio elects to remain in Havana following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, an historical moment that the film chooses to reflect on through Sergios unmoored, flneur-like lifestyle and anomie. The Cuban capital engulfs Sergio and simmers beneath the social and political forces of the Cold War. Ramon F. Suarezs innovative camerawork, Nelson Rodriguezs collage-style editing, and the films unique critical perspective cement Memories of Underdevopment both as milestone of new wave filmmaking, and one of the most important films from Cuba and Latin America. Caridad Cumana (Miami Dade College) and Susan Lord (Queens University) will join Cristina Venegas (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion. This event is sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center and the Department of Film and Media Studies. This event is free but a reservation is recommended in order to guarantee a seat.