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Abstract
This paper explores the depiction of Afrocuban religions in two films - Sara Gomez's One Way or Another (1974/1977) and Gloria Rolando 's Oggun: Forever Present (1991). A (Western) feminist's analysis of Gomez's One Way or Another characterizes Abakua and Santeria as "voodoo" - not only collapsing three different Afro-Caribbean religious traditions, but also reflecting Marxist biases that exclude (ironically) a recognition that Gomez's depictions of Abakua and Santeria reflect a gendered perspective. Rolando's Oggun reflects a recent trend in Cuban cinema to celebrate Afrocuban religious practices. Oggun's stunning visuals, compelling song and dance sequences, and fascinating mythology provoke a desire to understand the role and impact of this remarkable religious tradition in Cuban society.
Introduction
For us, film is the most important of the arts.' -Lenin The history of Cuban cinema is of particular interest to anyone concerned with examining cinema from a global perspective, constituting as it does, a trajectory intended - from the very beginning of the Revolutionary period - to undertake a "decolonization of the screens."2 How does this "decolonization of the screen" fare, however, when one considers the intersection of race and religion in Cuban cinema? This paper will explore the depiction of Afrocuban religions in two Cuban films - Sara Gomez's De cierta manera/One Way or Another (1974/1977) and Gloria Rolando's Oggun: Forever Present ( 1991 ). The two filmmakers I discuss in this paper, Sara Gomez and Gloria Rolando, represent what, perhaps, could be considered two "generations" of post-Revolution Afrocuban filmmaking in Cuba, in the sense that as Afrocuban women filmmakers, they negotiate(d) substantially different political and social milieus in regard to the acceptability of acknowledgment of African ancestry in post-Revolution Cuba.3
The late Sara Gomez joined ICAIC, the Cuban Film Institute, during the early years of its existence - one of only two black filmmakers, and the only woman director there for a considerable period. Gloria Rolando is a contemporary filmmaker determined to celebrate her African heritage. Rolando has traveled to the United States on several occasions where her documentary film, Oggun (1991), has appeared at several festival screenings.
Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands and is located only 90 miles (150 km) south of Miami, Florida. Cuba is an archipelago consisting...