Author: Andrea Leland

2023 Films

LAZARO AND THE SHARK

Saturday, April 1, 2023, 7:00 PM | Bajo El Sol Gallery St John Film Society and Bajo El Sol present LAZARO AND THE SHARK 76-minute documentary film Filmmaker William Sabourin O’Reilly will be present for the screening Seating is limited, so arrive early!  “There has been no other film, produced either in or outside Cuba, that goes as deep into the fascinating underground of the most African of Cuban cities, Santiago de Cuba.” FILM SYNOPSIS: Lazaro and The Shark: Cuba Under the Surface is a feature documentary that brings us to the world of Conga Competitions in the Carnival of Santiago de Cuba – one of the poorest Carnival in the world. Lázaro, the leader of the Conga de Los Hoyos, is determined to win the coveted award bestowed to the neighborhood that presents the most spectacular Conga. Like leaders of rival congas, Lazaro must join with his neighbors and scour the strictly rationed marketplace to find the necessary materials to create a show-stopping performance. Director William Sabourin O’Reilly, an Afrocuban native to Havana, offers a rare window into communist Cuba, a country that is often romanticized, and almost always portrayed through the eyes of an outsider. Sabourin seamlessly weaves wrenching moments of senseless police violence with intimate scenes of distant lovers aching to reunite. As the competition approaches, we see much more than Lazaro’s desire to win a local honor. We are immersed in the essential fight of the Cuban nation: to continue to live in the legacy of a revolution that has left its people in a constant struggle of poverty, or embrace a more dangerous, vital vision of living in freedom. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: “Cuba, my native country, is at a crossroads, where it has remained for years. After six decades of Communist rule, it has become quite clear that the island nation has sunk into a perpetual economic downturn resulting in poverty and political crisis. The concepts of freedom and democracy are non-existent to generations of Cubans. This reality becomes particularly heartbreaking when one bears witness to the energy, passion, and joy of the Cuban people, displayed intermittently as they experience a life of scarcity and vicissitudes. Lazaro and The Shark tells a story about life in contemporary Cuba, marked by generational conflicts and the suspense of a competition. This film is a declaration of love to my country, my people, and my culture. The music and dancing featured throughout the film emphasizes the undeniable presence and importance of the Afro-Cuban legacy on the Eastern part of the island. The evolution of these festivities, the Conga groups, and the competition between them is both provocative and entertaining. Stripped of the exotic gaze of an outsider, the film is full of compelling stories that peer into the daily lives of Cubans, and their valiant attempts to maintain traditions under extraordinary circumstances. My visceral desire to preserve this socio-cultural memory served as the initial trigger to begin this project over ten years ago. The story finally takes us out of...

2022 films

LOS HERMANOS | THE BROTHERS

ST JOHN FILM SOCIETY IS BACK!!  4pm / Sunday, February 27 ///   Bajo El Sol Gallery 6:30 pm / Saturday, February 26, 2022 ( sold out)    St John Film Society in collaboration with Bajo El Sol Gallery presents  LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS 83-minute documentary film Directors Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel will be present for Q & A following the screening. SEATING AT BAJO EL SOL IS LIMITED. Register in advance by sending an email with your name and the number of tickets you want to: stjviff@gmail.com   FILM SYNOPSIS: Ilmar and Aldo López-Gavilán are virtuoso Afro-Cuban musician brothers, born in Havana in the 70s. At 14, Ilmar outgrew his island teachers and was sent to the U.S.S.R. to study violin. He never lived in Cuba again, ultimately landing as a working chamber violinist in the U.S. Younger brother Aldo grew up mentored by Cuba’s impressive jazz and classical pianists, his extraordinary talent achieving renown on the island, but stymied elsewhere by the 60-year-old U.S. embargo. Though they see each other when family finances  and visa restrictions allow, they’ve never had a chance to collaborate musically—something they’ve longed for all their lives. Tracking their parallel lives, poignant reunion, and momentous first performances together on stages across the U.S., Los Hermanos / The Brothers is a nuanced, intensely moving view of nations long estranged, through the lens of music and family. DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT: “A family story originally brought us to Cuba, where Ken’s dad was given shelter as a refugee child from Nazi Germany, two years before the U.S. opened its doors to him. Since the diplomatic shift in December 2014, we’ve seen things begin to change. More American tourists. More money. W-fi. There was a palpable sense of possibility—and concern that core Cuban values would be threatened. When we toured Cuba with Havana Curveball in the spring of 2015, we were concerned about how Cubans would respond to this story of an idealistic and perhaps naive middle class teen from the U.S. Criss-crossing the island for two weeks on a bus of Cuban artists, thought leaders, and pop stars, we found instead open hearts, open minds, and the building of deep friendships with a broad range of Cubans. A year later, the death of Fidel and the ascent of Donald Trump changed the landscape of US-Cuba relations, and the prospects for the brothers. Today it is harder than ever for Cubans and Americans to cross borders. Americans still know little of one of their closest neighbors, likening Cuba to either an island paradise or socialist prison. We rarely hear the perspectives of Cubans themselves. The Cubans we know are deeply proud of their values, their artistic achievements, their way of life. They want change—and self-determination. They have generously shared their stories with us. We are committed to bringing them to you.” – Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider KEN SCHNEIDER: A Peabody- winning producer/director who has also edited nearly 40 feature documentaries for PBS, HBO, Showtime and Al-Jazeera. He received a Peabody as Co-producer and editor of Soft Vengeance. He...

2020

LOS NINOS DE MARIA

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 St John Film presents two films from Puerto Rico Short film: DANAE by filmmaker Julio Benito Cabrera & Feature film: LOS NINOS DE MARIA  a 60-minute documentary Producer Laura Duque will be present for Q & A following the screening. The film follows the lives of several children in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017.  Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico destroying everything in its path.  The film captures the trauma of living through the hurricane and the emotional and material impact on families, and the work of recovery, all from the perspective of children. Los Ninos de Maria explores the central role of children in the process of reconstruction and how their leadership will impact the future for years to come. The film reveals their Adaptation to this new life, the challenges of family relationships, the economic and social consequences, possible emigration and the impact on their lives. More than anything the children’s greatest concern is on how to rebuild the island.     GUEST SPEAKER: Producer: LAURA DUQUE visiting from Puerto Rico. Laura Duque was born in Colombia, studied film at New York University and lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she has a production company, One Film Corporation. During her 35-year career he has produced thousands of television commercials, promotional videos, feature films and documentaries. The documentary Los Niños de Maria (2018) was made after Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico destroying everything on his path and felt the need to give a message of hope. The documentary  has been selected in four festivals so far and won Best Documentary and People Choice Award in Rincon International Film Festival.

2020

SEA OF SHADOWS

7:30 pm / Tuesday, February 18, 2020    ////    St John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay St John Film Society  in collaboration with the St John Festival of the Arts  presents SEA OF SHADOWS 104-minute documentary film Dr Cynthia Smith director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation will be present for Q & A following the screening. SPECIAL LECTURE BEFORE THE SCREENING 1PM @  VIRGIN ISLAND NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTER Dr. Smith will present a lecture entitled:  Marine Mammal Conservation in the Caribbean & Beyond FILM SYNOPSIS: A looming disaster in one of the most spectacular environments on Earth sparks a rescue mission unlike any other in Sea of Shadows, a riveting new documentary with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller. When Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers join forces to poach the rare Totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez, their deadly methods threaten to destroy virtually all marine life in the region, including the most elusive and endangered whale species on Earth known as the Vaquita porpoise. But a team of brilliant scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and courageous undercover agents, as well as the Mexican Navy, put their lives on the line to save the last remaining Vaquita and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice. DR. CYNTHIA SMITH: As the Executive Director for the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF), Smith is charged with furthering the nonprofit’s organizational mission to improve and protect life for marine mammals by integrating exceptional care with innovative science, service, and education. Smith also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the NMMF and continues to lead projects focused on marine mammal health and welfare. She is Program Manager for Vaquita CPR which aimed to rescue the critically endangered Vaquita porpoise from extinction DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: “My goal as a director is to try to have a lasting impact on our world by focusing on issues that threaten our natural environment.  What is happening in Mexico is yet another example of human-caused devastation due to the greed of a few. By illuminating the problem through cinematic and compelling storytelling while offering solutions and captivating heroes with a cause, I hope to help save this precious ecosystem, which is on the verge of total collapse. I believe each one of us has the ability to be part of the solution. I try to use my skills as a filmmaker to inspire audiences to never give up on our planet and help bring change toward a better and brighter future.”  – Richard Ladkani  

2020

UNSETTLED

St John Film Society  presents  7:30 pm / Wednesday, January 15, 2020 St John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay UNSETTLED Feature length documentary film Filmmaker Tom Shepard will be present for Q & A following the screening. SYNOPSIS: UNSETTLED is a three-year longitudinal character-driven feature documentary portraying three independent and unique stories of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers and told through a narrative three-act structure: Subhi, a gay Syrian refugee who, having survived multiple death threats from Islamic terrorists, beatings by a violent and homophobic father, and a nation devastated by years of war, finds his voice as a leader for refugee rights in the U.S.; Cheyenne and Mari, a lesbian couple from Angola who, having faced brutal harassment from family and neighbors, seek uncertain asylum through the American immigration courts while pursuing their dreams of becoming musicians; and Junior, a gender non-conforming gay man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who struggles to find even basic housing and livelihood while exploring a more fluid gender identity. The film follows these journeys of resettlement in the San Francisco Bay Area over a three-year period – arrivals and reasons for fleeing (back stories); layers of struggle, transition and acculturation in their first months and years in the U.S.; and finally, healing from past traumas and pursuing their aspirations as they become more “settled.” An engrossing and empathetic look at the particular struggles of U.S. immigration in the new millennium.— Dennis Harvey  Variety magazine WATCH THE TRAILER HERE  DIRECTOR  PRODUCER: TOM   SHEPARD PRODUCER / CINEMATOGAPHER: JEN GILOMEN For 20 years, filmmaker Tom Shepard has produced, directed, edited, and distributed documentary films. Four of his feature projects – SCOUT’S HONOR, KNOCKING, WHIZ KIDS and THE GROVE – have aired nationally on PBS. Coverage of his work has been featured prominently in the U.S. and foreign press, including in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Washing- ton Post, and Boston Globe. Shepard’s films have played in more than 150 film festivals world- wide – including Full Frame, Silver Docs and the Sundance Film Festival (where he won two top awards in 2001).   DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: “As a member of the LGBT community, growing up in the U.S. I was faced with misrepresentations of queer people. Documentary filmmaking, for me, has become not only a craft but a way to reach into the darker corners of my own life and explore forces that scapegoat groups of people. There are few groups in current international discourse more maligned than refugees and immigrants. That discourse, in the U.S., has turned toxic. What drives this work is finding humanizing, non-threatening occasions for viewers to rethink attitudes and policies and use the empathic power of the film to change hearts and minds. As current American leadership steers away from multilateral policies and pluralism (and closer to isolationism and tribalism) I hope UNSETTLED will lift the voices of those who argue for engagement, cultural diplomacy and meaningful response to those who are most persecuted.” – Tom Shepard