cinema admissions in this country, at 119m, are a few million less than in Cuba. In other words, it seems that people in Cuba see films Tive times more frequently than we do This may not seem so much if you compare it with British cinema attendance when it was at is peak, ai he end of the Second World War Then the British went 1o the cinema. more than twice as much as Cubans do now. Attendance 35m a weck probably the highest rate of cinema-going anywhere at any time for the size of the population.
But when you learn that in Havana today, with a population of about 2m. an important new Culan film may he scen by half that number within a few NOTES JOU realise that cinema in Cuha is still the most powertui cultural means of social cohesion, as it was for us before television Cubans also have TV, but it hasn't killed tieir cinema.
We have to speak here of more than cohesion. Cinema in Cuba today 1s ananated, just as it was everywhere around the turn of the century, when the excitement of invention and discovery Soviet Rise incidedestine revolution when. for example, an sodience of workers watching Soris abstract experimental film Rain said to him afterwards: Why are you afraid of faces? If you could look at a face with the same franknest with which you look at a raindrop you would be wonderful Historically Cuban cinema therefore stands in the same development which also includes French cinema around the Popular Front of the mid-194%; -Italy following Liberation of 1944; Poland. during the "50s; Czechoslovakia in the period leading up to the Prague Spring: France again in the movement to which May 68 belonged: Popular Unity in Chile: Britain only almost once or twice, but one day surely in the future if enem manages to Undershe kinds of conditions which produce this animation. operates as an unparalleled critical instrument which both expresses and develops a popular vision of the world. And in taking up the most rigorous intellectual and intaginative imperatives, it overrides the division which bourgeois society discovers and sustains hetween popular culture and elite Art INSTRUMENT The knowledge that film could be an instrument of this kind was present at the very beginning of the revolution. ICAIC (Instituto Cubano del Are y Indestria Cinematagrafico Cubail Institute of Cittensatographic Art and Industry) dates back to the law of 24 March 1959, three months after Fidel's Havana.
As Alfredo Guevara said in his repart on Cuban cinema to the first meeting of Latin American Film Makers In 1967. the new cinema s Cuba and the climate of artistic freedom which it has enjoyed were the natural results, not of some kind of theoretical concern for the purity of cinema as Art, bur rather of the file activities carried on in conditions of clandestinity during the war of the guerillas. Coupled with this were the experiences of the film clubs and other cutural associations as centres for the dissemination of revolution and resistance to and political oppression by imperialists.
Cuban cinema accepted thar it had to perform revolutionary tasks and it sel create conditions. But it was never, even ar the bepinning, merely propagandistic.
It knew how to benefit from the visionary chance it had been given to create a new film cultare which was to a pre-existin culture of mass literacy, but could grow in harness with the campaign for mass literacy which was one of the resolution's primary aims.
The visual medicia of cinema and the medium of wrinen language are not the same, they do not lead to the same kind nt awareness of the world.
The cinema capitalist world developed amid a SOGIALIST CHALLENGE 20 April 1878 page 13 briefly. cinema Cuban into necessary conditions.
mass commercial popular literature which colonised it and reduced its wass of telline stories and presenting cultural reality to certain kinds of formulac -like Hourwood pems. ten canoes to me wie land, or bit consists, on the something very much like tairy tales. necessary and on the other, renders most of our actual experience intisible A paradoxical effect, no doubt, for a visual medium to exercise. At Les Huberman pointed our in Mun's Warldly Goods:
The dilectors of the carliest movics altent did queer acost curions was their showing you people riding about in a taxi, then piling out and walking awes without paying the driver. They d rich all over lown, have fun, or go to a place or bu and end of that. No payusent necessary. "It was vety much like most of those books on the Middle Ages that go cn CUBAN cinema accepted It had to perform revolutionary lasks and it set out to create ine Indies all and Hollywood one hand, these things, the reality things. One of the habit of LITERARY The Color for pages and pages about knights and decked out in shining pay dresses, tournaments and games. They always live in splendid castles and have plenty to sat and drink. You get very Little Bine that someone had to provide al doese't grow on trees, and that tood doe grow, has to be plaited and looked anthropologist after and worked over; Burit does So the ask which Cuban cinerna took upon itself was, as Alfredo Guevara pu. it, to discover the roality within clear There is also another kind of liegemons which highly developed Literary cultures exercise over cinema In Tilm-maker Marts explained how Cuban cinemn abe served is an example which shower moment, and SECTISE how it was possible to attack this effect as well. It was throuch Cubar casema, she wrote, that she forst learnt that the filmmaker did not have u carry on being a simple impartia observer of reality the hourceois ideology of knowlede: - in which the datoner like an maker & supposed to he eneared 00 investigation, with the film camera an an empirical recording device That Cuban cinema continues to provide revolutionary examples was selection of new films of the last two or three sears which were showe in London dering the recent Cuban Film Week at the National Film Theatre.
These flims were by so means all meatmens even in Cuba' Rancher is a historical epic ahout black slavery in Cuba Rio Negro directed by Manuel Perez is a füh for the revolution itself, dealing comes to a head at the moment of the Bay of Pigs, between two men in the Escambray region, One of them is a De9san1:TC acher a counter revolutionary whe leads a pro-Batista bandit group. A third kind of film can be found in De Clerta Manera (In a Certain Way) by the late Cuban woman director Sara Gomez Yera. Here, in a story ol growing consciousness in an urban Slum housing area in the process of being rebuilt, fiction and documen tary are mixed. But what makes this a particularly powerfal film is that it is Barcoderni Banon sids 3000 J0u fiction and documentary sequcoces Rather the film is constructed by creating a sarrative involving both fictional and real characters in a real location in a historically specific EXPERIMENTAL Humberto Solas, the director of another experimental film included in the programme, Cantata de Chile was one of a delegation of Tour who came with the films, Cantate de Chile creploys an eclectic range of myths. poems, historical reconstructions and other stylised elements. Solas regard: the whole of Cuhan cinerna today as experinentas, He calls it a laboratory for the creation of a socialist culture.
There is no longer any force left in bourgoois celtare, lie said. And the bourgeois modeis which still had some influence on us in the 60, lave beca discarded. But there has never ver been a true socialist culture. It is something that can- appear overnight. And it isn1 a matter of theory either, In any case there hasn' heen a real Marxist theory of are from the point of view. We are therefore in a laboratory 518.00 We have to experiment in practice to discover the now fort:
It is preciscly this laboratory spirit makes Cuban сілета accessible to us. Culturally we have a very fundamental shared experienc with the Cubans: the death culture. We are used to a powerful avan: garde tor beller series of avant gardes) which is also. Laboratory for new forms Apart from the very esportan functions of solidarity and of showing us what the Cuban recolution is like Cuhan cinema also presents us with a critique of avant garde practice. It is a practical critique of a positive kind which pots to shame the theoretical dagmas which often appear in ou own speechifying. It does not dismiss avant pardism as a fas-end mutation ol'artistic traditions, the result of the artist's alienation, loss of audience primitive apobitical senic rebeilion. Nor does it make a ferish of avant gardism for its own sako, or of mooessarily revchutionary core which all enemietta art supposed co possess i bas the truly open attitude of th creativg scientific researcher; the altitude of the experimenter for whom an experiment is not an acceepi to confirm foregone conclusions, but literally a trying-out of an idea. — a possibility But this demands a different mode of consumption for the acarbetic object, the film. Is is no longer to be judged either. the habit af bourgecis a potentia masterpiece; nor as a fleeting object of leisure-rime consumption, as in the dominant cinema of the Hollywood tradicion: cinema which diverts and fleeces the audience at the sane tinc Instead the film has to be judged as openly as it was inade This is a vital example to us if w too, are to break with old habits and move towarde the creatica of a nseful cinema. In a word, we can learn this AMY TO STOD Films Begrations positsoes over what kind of cinema we Bught to have. Then we could regard each and every film as simply an experiment on the way towards
10L US HUS US his call to the Provisionals to lay SANTACT AARONS. CLONGEEL argument is undermined by his failWE LOCATE LOIT CEME A serious error concerns his assesof campaign. Comparing the scale of operatons mar earlier phase of the (spectacular car bombs cic.) with that of the present. he arrives at the conclusion that because there has been a "de-escalation' in the scale of these operations there has also been a * decrease their Yet the effectiveness wars is not to be judged by the size of scale of military operations, but by Пси Suces B послема and politi cal contradictions. respect, the recent campaign has been *We remind readers chat before effective.
Christmas shere was a [3m Fire-bomb bille, and that between 1 Jasuary and late February when La Mon occurred and RUC men had been injured and three UDR men had been killed, In the same period there were over 100 bomb blasts.
Belfast hotels cio. This campaign has prevented the British Government stabilising the stateles. It has humstation of Roy Masan who had boasted that the IRA were defeated, an partical develope h an political developments in in relation to the South, Purdie ens mn his claim that manna Fail and Fine Gael are bolding the Ine on behalf of the SDLP* because Westminster is again capitulating to Unionism. pro-unity statements DULT ACUAR parties are chiefly response to two factors: (1) the of nationalism grass-roots level in Ireland, and (2) the fact that the coonomy and politics of the South are adversely atfected by the continuing instability in the North; and the demise of 'powersharing', plus the campaign nave acmonstraca toi this cannot be rescived in the British Bob Purdie asserts throws up obstacles to the re-building DOESTESS TENE would be foolish to that this might allow mobilisation to take place.
The сопосрі that campaign and a mass movement are mutually mechanical one. What in fact occurs is a process in which the failure of the imperialist power demands put forward by peaceful mass protest drives logical conclusion that take up arms. And every liberation strugele SHOWE organisations that win mass support nice only to defend the people against their oppressors but military offensive in pursuit of the popular interest, In the Trish context, the Official Republicans followed Bab Purdie's logic and gave up the war against Britain. The result has been not only the degeneration of their organisatTion into a poston muster a Duffy's funeral Commemoration have shown minary 'episodic characterised an campaign Mon had effectiveness.
guerilla honest. We In this ourselves to building on out-ofOh.
Northern to the public print since the Casement of nuclear power February|.
Bob Comrades Pils. Talbot.
simply The recent Irish Union having at and of itself position implying continuing IRA that correct the scientitie/industrial cannot be arrived at entisde of SENIACE underlying them But the TRA LIVE LOU La mass production military merits and opposing systems totally meet the *fringe conlogy groups Luden's suggestion people to the they must require T38H AMENISE revelationary which they are hased. lism, but a drastic dwindling of their base, An Offcal demo is lucky 1ỏ hundred people. whereas thousands connue to turn out for the Provisionals as the resent demonstraton for polical status. the attendance at Volunteer Paul WHAT A and the Easter It is unfortunate for Bob Purdie's argument that what he describes as difference rise in Catholic millancy has actually taken place in the wake of the La Mon bombing. Even ine tuardin concewe mat La had no ill-effects on Provisonal support, giving the lie to his claims that it caused widespread Bob Pardie reminds us of our logical would remind him that we also have a respomibility not only to make an accurate analysis of the situation in the North, but to address powerful solidarity movement in this country.
LASTAIR REN (W. London) can How Ok..l give Aller receiving the liggest hattering in publication of the Britich Rosd', I admit that I was utterly and completely wrong in my movement, and Tang, Williams and Euden made many to oppose by simplistic, timeless first principles, as l orcinally attemoted to do though 1 am doubtful abour Colin Talbot's contention that we should even be opposed to the Soviet purticular, I was wrong to imagine that nuclear technologs is somehow, "neutral' form with positions 1 hold on other issues. detailed However, Hia cicar energes trul infiltration of the debate — and Alan Luden NAP Hunes on too point most clear -positions developments scientific data For example. how cun we odont u policy on different forms of energy Without the people having a clear grasp of the demerits Lesse and cconomic terms? This is a task witich the left press has yet to address itself to, leaving it instead to the supposed comrade of an article explaining how a fast breeder reucior works would be a meful beginning Such a vital course would also reassessment of the Socialist view organisation cannot Take postess on scenarc questons: Il is difficult to see how we can take u BULICUE "dehate without choosing between different technological policies and the scientific data and hypotheses on Yet CARL GARDNER [London NW6) He sent To Marise t avai able - DOCISI WALES SWANSEA Socialist Challenge group carve up: That was my reaction to Richard Carver's article on the Red Brigades. There's a great between criticising the actions of the Red Bripades. slandering them in Stalinist fashion.
The Communist Party in Haly has issued a call to root our all tertorist" sum Bathisers warkplace and the community. Weall know that this means every revolutionary faces a witch-hunt led by the PCI.
The Malia has issued a death threat and to all *Ked Brigade prisoners to be Implemented by their own members in ail. Weknow that all imprisoned left wingers face being murdered a la Socialist Challenge tail ends th PEtiE its fcoonine di recent even: You claim that the Red Brigades have little support in Italy. How come they issue thass bulletin simultaneously in 12 differear cities?
conse even the Italian bourgeoisie admits they have support on the shopfloor?
Your reports on Italy have tended to inaccurate and to reflect bourgeois media's covernge of the evolutionary left as Mickey Mous roups!. (see Red Notes criticisms i experiences mass Socialist Challenge has used the crisis of the lett organisations to score points against Bip Flame, pointing to the ructions that took place in Lotta Continua Unfortunately you fail to apply the sate criticisms to your own sister organisation, the GCR in Italy, whose has dropped from 2,700 to below 30 I have deep criticisms to make of the • Brigades LACE tactics, macho posturing, and failure to grasp the need for mass action. These criticisms do not, however, I put this 'socialist challenge" Socialist Challenge: either provide evidence of neb-faseist of the Red Brigades, and GRAPO, withdraw your allegations and issue an apology. NICK HEATH (Landon E3) THE ISSUE of fascists in the unions has recently come into the limelight. The bureaucracies of unions like the National Union of Railwaymen are 01 al fascists, and this call has been recently backed by the comrades Workers Party International Communist League.
After all, why should we accept fascists in the unions? They stand for the destruction of all working class organisation, and in any case they are an allront to all soclalist. black people, and so on, having to work with them.
would argue that contrades of the SWP and the ICL are making a serious mistake. They key is LONECE and the Socialist registration fee.
NAME., ADDRESS.
Conference, not the presence of themselves, but the political question of whether they are organising and ponticaly done position, fighting for their poisonous filth etc The position would be different if there were hundreds of thousands of fascists on the streets ourside, if they the were becoming a big threat to the workers" movement. intimidation to the union struggle of the workers. But the threat of course, like that this tor specific sicuations. workers were forced to work with a fascist in an ares where the NF had the been atracking blacks and whipping up racial hatred? Even if a fascist is nat politically active, there should be BRIGHTON Socialist Challange Saes ADICT SIrE I would like to attend the annual conference of Challenge supporters and enclose SOCIALIST CHALLENGE GROUP (if any)...
Do you sell the paper regularly?
Please fill in and send to Socialist Challenge PO 50, fascists - none a union minority. booted out.
Then even the It also we should allow What if black Sire, sach Saturday. la-pr MIDLANDS London the richt not to have to work with him or her. In pertuin specific cases thar might have to mean booting the as this can give a lot of ammunition to prohlem when left-wing activists who GUSSIES It could mean you get lets the trade union burcaucracy off the hook. We want them to take part in organising a political campaign azal racism and fascism. That would rake up also such questions as their complicity with the racism of the Government. By simply allowing them to get rid of a few fascists, they can sidestep problems ol racism and fascist in their union I ADAMS, 5 BELL, (Cardits)
GREENWICH/LEWISHAM Setall Toil on in 25707 HARROW Socinlist Challenge Croup apperies or !
----- pull-quotes -----
of a piece. These it no ruling aesthere a considerable variety of themes an
BOB PURDIE GUARDIAN SOB PUKDIE Socialist Challeng
Socialist Challenge
there than 40 Brish Amy, UDR CARL GARDNER AND POWER
Challenge up FaTE. WhEN RICHARD
CARVER MAFIA
FASCISTS IN THE UNIONS
Socialist Challonge Socialist Challenge
HALL, LONDON, N12PX