¡Quba! documents Cuba’s extraordinary journey toward LGBTQIA+ equality, culminating in one of the most unexpected civil rights victories of the 21st century - the historic 2022 referendum that legalized same-sex marriage and adoption. Against the backdrop of Havana’s sun-drenched streets and the countryside’s conservative heartlands, the film traces the decades-long struggle of activists who turned a revolution within the Revolution into reality. At its heart are two iconic trailblazers: Adela Hernández, Cuba’s first openly transgender elected official, whose quiet perseverance broke barriers in rural Caibarién, and Ramón Silverio, the subversive theater director who transformed his cultural hub, El Mejunje, into a sanctuary for queer art and resistance. Through their friendship, we witness how Cuba’s LGBTQ movement took root—from the dark days of UMAP labor camps to the defiant drag performances that challenged homophobia in Santa Clara. Ramón’s rainbow caravan of artists brought radical acceptance to Cuba’s most isolated towns, proving that change could bloom even in hardened soil.
Their legacy fuels a new generation of firebrands. In Santiago, the lesbian collective Las Isabelas —Maritza, Ana, and Isel—combat machismo with radical visibility, conducting educational campaigns to empower women and girls. In Havana, young activists like Ulises push boundaries through relentless advocacy, while Mariela Castro, head of CENESEX, navigates Cuba’s political machinery to bridge grassroots movements and government policy. Their efforts collide with a rising evangelical backlash, setting the stage for a cultural battle that divides families and tests the nation’s revolutionary ideals.
Archival footage reveals the shadows of state persecution and religious bigotry, but the film pulses with the defiant rhythms of resistance—drag spectacles, underground queer gatherings, and clandestine activism that kept hope alive. As the campaign for the 2022 Family Code reaches its climax, activists hold their breath: will Cuba, a nation that once imprisoned its LGBTQ citizens, now embrace them?
Set to the defiant rhythms that fueled this movement, ¡Quba! captures a paradox shattered: in a nation that had already overturned capitalism but still wrestled with patriarchal traditions, the people themselves became the vanguard. This victory—won through art, organizing, and unapologetic joy—proves that revolution is never finished. From Adela’s trailblazing resilience to Ramón’s artistic insurgency and the bold fury of Las Isabelas, the film is a testament to love’s power to rewrite history.
In collaboration with Scottish Queer International Film Festival
Followed by Q&A with Director Kim Anno and SQIFF Director Indigo Korres
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery
Event Venue
The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF, United Kingdom
Tickets
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