A follow-up to our interview with Eirene Houston, Founder and Festival Director of the Havana Glasgow Film Festival, ending today.
The Havana Glasgow Film Festival (HGFF) 2017 ends today in Glasgow, Scotland. We spoke with Co-Director and Founder of the HGFF, Eirene Houston. Eirene and Co-Director Hugo Rivalta (from Havana) run the film Festival each year.
Since 2002, Glasgow has been the twin city of Havana.
The Havana Glasgow Film Festival is supported by ICAIC, the Cuban Film Institute, Glasgow City Council, Creative Scotland, GSA Fine Art Department, Unite, Mango, and a wonderful team of devoted volunteers, without whom this Festival might never have occurred.
Cuba Business Report: What Cuban actors and directors are at the Havana Glasgow Film Festival?
Eirene Houston:
We can’t tell you how thrilled we are to have Aleida Guevara, Che Guevara’s daughter, as our guest this year.
And as it’s the 30th anniversary of the very famous and special film, Clandestinos, by Fernando Perez (his first film) we are showing this. This was Luis Alberto Garcia’s first film, Ya no Es Antes, his latest. And we are thrilled to have him as our guest this year along with Jonal Cosculluela, the director of Esteban.
And of course, the festival wouldn’t be complete without our third guest, Co Director Hugo Rivalta, who has been adopted by Glasgow on this, his third visit from Havana.
Cuba Business Report: Is there a common theme running through all the films you are showing at the Festival?
Eirene Houston:
There are three themes in this festival but the common theme is films with human stories. This is why I love so many Cuban films, it’s their humanity.
We have three films about young people and what life is like for them in Cuba. Habanastation, Esteban, both of which have been very successful and popular in Cuba and at festivals around the world, and From Ghost Town to Havana, a film made by American, Eugene Corr, (Oscar nominee and well known screenwriter.
Two films about returning after emigration, Honey for Oshun, from 16 years ago and a new film, Ya No Es Antes, (Not Like Before) which I saw in Havana at the end of last year.
And our third theme is Revolution with two documentary films, one about Che’s death in Bolivia on this, the 50th anniversary of his death, San Ernesto nace en La Higuera, and one about Fidel, The Man Behind the Myth.
Cuba Business Report: Thank you, Eirene, for talking with us. It has been a pleasure.
Read an earlier conversation from Eirene Houston, Festival Director of the Havana Glasgow Film Festival (HGFF 2017) here.
