SOY CUBA ("I AM CUBA," 1964) co-presented by EL CINE UNDERGROUND PODCAST

7th House and the El Cine Underground Podcast are proud to co-present one of the most important films in filmmaking history: Mikhail Kalatozov’s SOY CUBA (“I AM CUBA,” 1964).

Produced in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, SOY CUBA was conceived as a monumental work of revolutionary cinema—Cuba’s answer to Sergei Eisenstein's propaganda masterpiece Battleship Potemkin and Jean-Luc Godard’s effervescent and formally groundbreaking Breathless. What emerged, however, was something far more singular: a wildly contradictory, sensuous, and feverish vision of a nation on the brink of transformation.

Moving through four poetic episodes of exploitation and uprising, the film traverses the seductive, decadent world of Batista-era Cuba—deliriously juxtaposing images of rich Americans and bikini-clad beauties sipping cocktails poolside with scenes of ramshackle slums filled with hungry children and gaunt old people. At once a celebration and a critique, SOY CUBA fuses Slavic solemnity with Latin sensuality, forging a cinematic language that is as emotionally immersive as it is ideologically charged.

Known for its breathtaking, gravity-defying long takes, the film redefined what a camera could do. Shot by cinematographer Sergei Urusevsky, it unfolds in a series of images so fluid and audacious in their execution that they remain almost unfathomable even today. Using filters and wide-angle lenses that distort, transform, and magnify, Urusevsky’s acrobatic camera achieves impossible, seemingly free-floating angles as it glides through intricate, continuous shots. Yet SOY CUBA is far more than a showcase of technical bravura—it is equally attuned to the inner lives of its characters, capturing their emotional realities and often desperate conditions with striking immediacy. Working without the technological conveniences of contemporary filmmaking, Mikhail Kalatozov and Urusevsky engineered shots that still astonish, pushing the expressive potential of the moving camera into entirely new territory.

Its misunderstood ambitions and innovations—far ahead of their time—left it all but ignored upon its initial release, and nearly lost for decades, until it was rightfully rediscovered and is now revered by filmmakers around the world.

Thanks to its championing by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, Kalatozov’s masterpiece is cemented as a touchstone of political cinema and a source of inspiration for generations of artists pushing the boundaries of the medium. Today, it endures not only as a document of revolutionary fervor, but as a living work of cinematic possibility, its images still startling, still instructive, still alive, and still echoing through the work of the world’s greatest filmmakers.

Beautifully restored in 4K by Milestone Films from the film’s original 35mm fine-grain masters, to encounter SOY CUBA on the big screen is to witness one of the most audacious and unforgettable feats in film history—an electrifying convergence of politics, poetry, and pure cinematic imagination.

This isn’t just a film — it’s a cinematic experience.

Dir. Mikhail Kalatozov, 1964, 141 min, Soviet Union/Cuba, Spanish with English Subtitles, Unrated, Digital.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

EL CINE UNDERGROUND

Born of the LA based non-profit El Cine—a 501-c3 that provides free film education for the community through Latin-focused screenings and conversations—El Cine Underground is a visual podcast, exposing the film history they left us out of. They don’t just watch movies — They dissect the culture, decode the media, all through the Latin lens. They're here for deep cuts and the movies you never knew existed.

At its core, the podcast is like TCM meets Robert Rodriguez—classic film appreciation colliding with a rebellious, DIY spirit. That blend is exactly the point: to make film history and criticism feel alive, relevant, and accessible. It’s in line with their larger goal of creating film education that breaks out of classrooms and institutions, reaching people wherever they are, with the same passion and grit that fuels the movies we love.

Cinema in focus, culture in every frame.

Produced & Edited by Angel I. Salinas.

Creator & Host: Mariana Da Silva

Part of SpectreVision Radio's podcast stable, a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We’re a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

https://www.somoselcine.org/el-cine-underground

ADVISORY DISCLAIMER

With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. Nearby street parking is available, as well as limited parking onsite at PRS in the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east).

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App