Frenemies: Cuba and the U.S. Embargo 2020
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Mirella Martinelli and Elizabeth Coffman
Directed by Mirella Martinelli
Streaming, 87 mins
College - General Adult
Caribbean; International Relations; Political Science
Date Entered: 06/20/2022
Reviewed by Erica Swenson Danowitz, Chat Reference Librarian –Pennsylvania’s Chat with a Librarian (CWAL), Independent Contractor at Hosting Solutions & Library Consulting (HSLC); Retired Professor/Reference Librarian, Delaware County Community CollegeEven before it enacted the embargo in 1960, the United States had a complicated relationship with Cuba. In Frenemies: Cuba and the U.S. Embargo, director/producer Mirella Martinelli examines this complex relationship and the embargo’s damaging effects on Cuba. Through interviews and film footage, Frenemies traces the history of the embargo, referred to as “el bloqueo” (the blockade) by Cubans, that began after Castro seized private property. Martinelli interviews a variety of individuals from Cuba and the United States including political scientists, educators, former US military personnel, and artists who have ties to, or currently live in Cuba. All these individuals support the lifting of the embargo which is the main message of this film. Frenemies examines how the embargo evolved over the years under different American presidents, but never ceased. This film notes that the embargo’s ultimate goal was to starve the Cuban people so they would rise up and overthrow Castro’s government which has never happened despite the numerous hardships produced by these sanctions.
Frenemies includes anti-Castro propaganda clips and provides interesting facts such as the role expatriated Cubans played in the Watergate break-in. It also underscores the missed opportunities the US government had to assist Cuba especially after the Soviet Union’s collapse. The film mentions Cuba’s many achievements under Castro including its high literacy rate and the absence of racism in current Cuban society. Although the film acknowledges some of the Cuban government’s restrictive policies, it considers them only briefly and does not examine darker aspects such as Castro’s internment of dissidents and LGBTQ individuals.
Although Frenemies succeeds in summarizing Cuban history there are occasional scenes that seem superfluous. Early in the film an American educator mentions her interest in the practice of Santería. This scene then segues to a completely different subject and could have been cut from the final version. A discussion of the Cuban education system and its safe environment includes statistical graphs/photographs of U.S. school shootings which is an odd inclusion since these juxtapositions of troubling images are not addressed in the dialogue. In discussing the Cuban literacy rate which currently stands at an impressive 99.87%, an interview participant states that the literacy rate in the United States is 99%. Although literacy rates for the United States fluctuate, the current U.S. literacy rate hovers between 86-88% and has never reached the inaccurate 99% rate stated in this film.
One of the cinematographers and interview participants for this film, Miguel Coyula, is a Cuban filmmaker who won a Guggenheim fellowship. The spectacular cinematography offers beautiful views of contemporary Cuba including beaches, farmland, Havana, and the art community “Fusterlandia.” It also features Cuban music and dance scenes. This reviewer visited Cuba in 2016 and Frenemies captures much of what makes this country such a remarkable place. An interview participant noted that American and Cuban people are “a lot more alike than not alike,” which is the ultimate message of this film. This film provides an interesting assessment of the embargo and a diversified perspective on Cuban-United States relations. In both English and Spanish (with subtitles) Frenemies is recommended for individuals interested in Cuba and for use in courses such as economics, history, international relations/trade, political science, and Spanish language.
Awards:Audience Award, Dunedin International Film Festival; Audience Award, Oregon International Film Festival; Award of Excellence, Docs Without Borders Film Festival; Social Impact Award, Latino & Native American Film Festival; Impact Award in Global Politics, The Most Important Films International Film Festival; Award of Merit, Impact DOCS Awards
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