Historiographical Values of Cuban Fiction Cinema in the 1960s

Abstract

Since their inception, History and Cinema have been interconnected. This essay examined how Cuban fiction cinema of the 1960s reflected and contributed to the understanding of revolutionary processes and the construction of a national identity in Cuba. The general objective was to analyze and highlight the historiographic values of Cuban fiction cinema produced in that decade, evaluating how these films reflected and contributed to the understanding of revolutionary processes and the construction of a national identity in Cuba. Following the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and the creation of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) in 1959, emblematic films were produced that captured the social and political transformations of the country. Films such as Historias de la Revolución (1960), Cuba baila (1960), El joven rebelde (1961), Las doce sillas (1962), Manuela (1966), La muerte de un burócrata (1966), Aventuras de Juan Quinquín (1967), Lucía (1968), Memorias del subdesarrollo (1968), and La primera carga al machete (1969) stood out for their ability to document and critique historical events and offer perspectives on national identity. The detailed analysis of these films revealed how they served as historiographic tools, providing a deep understanding of the class conflicts, political tensions, and cultural transformations of the time.