Webinar: Donde vas tú (Documentary Premiere)

December 1, 2020   7:00PM

The World Premiere of Dónde vas tú – a Cuban documentary film by Pao Fraga tracing the origins of traditional Cuban Folk music to help a disappearing genre, Punto Cubano, to resurface.  It has gained global support having been accepted and won awards at film festivals around the world.  Finally, we are pleased to present the film online for you to enjoy in your home theater!  The movie screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Pao Fraga.

Title: Dónde vas tú…

Author: Orelvys R. Fraga Rodríguez (Pao Fraga)

Synopsis: The Cuban disengagement with the “Punto Cubano” music style, and its consequential endangerment, motivates a young man to look into the deepest causes of this phenomenon. Reflecting on the reasons, researching among specialists and inquiring the public, resulting in a new way of creating and defending this musical genre, still considered by the vast majority of Cubans as an essential part of their culture. Interviews with experts of Punto Cubano Cuban culture, on-site recordings, and visits to places where the Punto Cubano is interpreted and listened to, provide an in-depth analysis of its popularity and transcendence.

Argument: The Punto Cubano cannot simply be seen as a musical genre but as an expression of the Cuban culture and the national identity.  It was recently declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Nevertheless, most Cubans do not feel a special interest in Punto Cubano and its history.

Interviews with experts of Cuban culture, on-site recordings, and visits to places where the Punto Cubano is interpreted and listened to, provide an analysis of its level of popularity and transcendence.

Throughout the documentary, we identify the commercial potentialities of this genre and the most popular contemporary Cuban musicians offer plausible reasons to explain the low level of popularity of this musical genre. The documentary also provides ideas for not only the preservation but also the development of the Punto Cubano, taking into account the suggestions made by the interviewees, a new musical proposal “re-contextualizing” the Punto Cubano, through the creation of a new “style”.