Hugo Rivalta, TV writer, film maker, journalist and also our Havana co director of the #HGFF15, writes for us about what it feels like to be leaving Cuba for the first time.
We will follow him all the way from Havana to Glasgow and throughout his stay. You’ll have plenty opportunity to meet him in real life, throughout all our festival events.
Meet Hugo.
From Havana.
I live in the tropics, in a Caribbean island called Cuba, where there is abundant sunshine, music, old cars, and scarce Internet and high technology. Some mornings, overwhelmed by underdevelopment, I awake obsessed with the idea of opening my way to other worlds. In those days of tremendous anxiety, I sit on the sea wall, on a high roof or on the sand of a beach, looking at the vast sea and then I ask myself, how would it be to live there, in Europe or United State, these fascinating worlds, developed, with many motion and much brightness?
These days I’m nervous, restless spirit and body, because finally I will get out of my island, cross the blue and immense realm of the goddess “Yemaya”, reaching Glasgow, distant land of strange name, Scottish city. My family and friends are anxious, like me, it is that very little is known about Scotland. We know that it is a very cold country, where the best whiskys in the world is made; also it said that people are cordial, despite the cold to laugh a lot, like us here in the Caribbean, and many dance to Cuban music. Also it seems to like movies, and are curious about us, because they have invited me to tell some of the history of Cuban cinema. I will gladly go to Glasgow, Scotland, to tell through Cuban film, how we lived and how we live our lives Cubans. However, the most important thing for me is to meet people, their customs. I hope my poor English allows me to do enough.
Besides being known for whisky and cold, between us that ancient tradition of them, who in certain parties and celebrations saw men with checkered skirts mentioned. This scares me, because to go from Cuba to Glasgow, to finish wearing a plaid skirt, and then be immortalized in Facebook, it would be a tremendous blow to my family and friends.
I trust the good mood of the people of Glasgow, I hope a lot ask me about Cuban cinema, and Cuba; I wish that provide many noble heart; but hopefully no one asks me, as a token of friendship, get a skirt on.
Wait for me Glasgow.
Hugo Rivalta. October, 23
