American Experience | Fidel Castro | Cuba Newsreels

Cuba Newsreels

In 1959, Fidel Castro created the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Culture (Spanish acronym: I.C.A.I.C.), the agency in charge of film production and distribution. The institute owned and controlled cinemas, oversaw all Cuban film productions and monitored imported films. Fidel Castro once said its documentaries "contributed greatly to publicizing the work of the revolution abroad."

View excerpts from I.C.A.I.C. newsreels produced between 1960 and 1980.

		Anti-American Protests, 1960 (1:51) Protestors carry coffins through Havana to protest against American companies in Cuba.
		Bay of Pigs Aftermath, 1961 (1:17) Fidel Castro and soldiers examine Playa Girón at the Bay of Pigs after the failed invasion.
		New School Inauguration, 1971 (2:37) Fidel Castro opens new schools in rural Cuba.
		Castro Visits the U.S.S.R., 1972 (0:55) Castro travels to the U.S.S.R. and meets with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
		Queue of Asylum-Seekers, 1980 (2:21) Cubans line up to have their passports stamped at the Peruvian Embassy as Castro supporters rally in the streets.
		Mariel Boat Lift, 1980 (0:55) Boats stream into Mariel after Castro opens the port to those seeking to flee Cuba.

Video courtesy of the WGBH Media Library and Archives.

page created on 12.21.04

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