Cuba, an African Odyssey
Director Jihan El-Tahri
Countries France, United Kingdom
Duration 120 min
Synopsis
Between 1961 and 1989, the African continent was one of the most important theatres of the Cold War. By uniting in a sort of “third bloc” they fought in the name of a new ideal: internationalism – the only weapon available that promised to guarantee national independence. Cuba had a preponderant role in this process by providing aid to young African revolutionaries like Patrice Lumumba, Amilcar Cabral or Agostinho Neto. From the tragicomic epic of Che Guevara in Congo to the triumph at the battle of Cuito Carnavale in Angola, Cuba, an African odyssey attempts to understand the world today through the saga of these internationalists who won every battle but finally lost the war.
Between 1961 and 1989, the African continent was one of the most important theatres of the Cold War. By uniting in a sort of “third bloc” they fought in the name of a new ideal: internationalism – the only weapon available that promised to guarantee national independence. Cuba had a preponderant role in this process by providing aid to young African revolutionaries like Patrice Lumumba, Amilcar Cabral or Agostinho Neto. From the tragicomic epic of Che Guevara in Congo to the triumph at the battle of Cuito Carnavale in Angola, Cuba, an African odyssey attempts to understand the world today through the saga of these internationalists who won every battle but finally lost the war.