As the child of a Cuban immigrant, I'm glad I stumbled upon this. I don't have any contact with (or knowledge of) relatives in Cuba, so the only information I've ever gotten was of pre-to-early-revolutionary Cuba filtered through the strong bias of people fleeing a regime. I think this was fairly well balanced and gave a good look into the heart of Cuba, rather than making it about one aspect or another. I'm tempted to hunt around now for more modern documentaries. Hopefully they will be equally unbiased, but I feel like that's going to be a bit more needle in a haystack than I'd like.

@garliccs

Жыл бұрын

I recommend getting the book Cuba an American history by Ada Ferrer

Great documentary. No bias towards any side. Just pure historical content

This was great And thank you Mr James Earl Jones

Excellent documentary thank you for sharing. Hopefully there is an updated version

I've made several trips to Cuba over the last few years, and I can say that at the end of the day, Cuba has gone downhill since 1991. When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Cuba took a huge hit. By 1993 they were starving and rioting in the streets. Cuba has never really recovered, life is really tough for the average Cuban to this very day.

@kimobrien.

3 жыл бұрын

Nothing but BS lies.

@jackieollij7434

3 жыл бұрын

A parasyte island.

@jackieollij7434

3 жыл бұрын

@@lazarohernandez8574 Después de que ya quebraron a Venezuela, ahora van por más, pero ya se les acabó, ya no tiene fuerza esa dictadura.

@nicolaslatorre810

3 жыл бұрын

@@lazarohernandez8574 and ? That's how it's always been. Before Castro they lived from the US before that from spain .

@happycustomer538

3 жыл бұрын

tough like bonelessness in America?

This is a great documentary! Hopefully, they will be able to have the freedom to travel and earn a better living.

@numbersix8919

3 жыл бұрын

How about trade with the EU and OAS countries too? Cubans don't need to travel and earn a better living.

@jagmannenarbrand8373

2 жыл бұрын

@@numbersix8919 I agree

@kimobrien.

2 жыл бұрын

@@jagmannenarbrand8373 The US needs to end its blockade.

@jagmannenarbrand8373

2 жыл бұрын

@@kimobrien. Yep

@kinkle_Z

2 жыл бұрын

@@kimobrien. BINGO!!

Looks like this video is about to get some well deserved views thanks to the algorithm 😎

@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker

3 жыл бұрын

I hope so. David Hoffman filmmaker

@ericp8148

3 жыл бұрын

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker algorithm sent me but have been subscribed. Appreciate you and what you do.

I hope Cuba can become strong and free one day and that they can thrive.

@TIRCQ

3 жыл бұрын

Will be impossible now because a lot of Cubans still want the "revolution" same shit in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Only with the mayority in charge any country may be able to turn directions

@henryseidel5469

3 жыл бұрын

@@stormshred But embargos and sanctionism are part of imperialism !

@cgmason7568

3 жыл бұрын

@@stormshred how is the embargo illegal?

@willpower3317

3 жыл бұрын

@@stormshred They made their bed long ago.

@henryseidel5469

3 жыл бұрын

@@obiden5286 And now compare Castro's Cuba with the country of his predecessor Batista, who had made the Island a slavedriving brothel for a handful of dollars. Or compare Cuba to its neighbours, for example Haiti or Puerto Rico, who are lucky enough to live in the American type of freedom and democracy. Castro was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, by the way. But the US seem to have forgotten about the great people they once had. I am neither Cuban nor American nor am I a native speaker of English.

My dad described Cuba under the Batista dictatorship as a giant ashtray where the United States and organized crime put out their cigarette butts.

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

And now they don't even have ashtrays..! They sure have come along way. They can't even afford cigarettes... Did Fidel's government also take your dad's hard earned money and property..???? Last I heard, Batista was a dictator, but he did not rule for 62 years.... He only oppressed his people for a fraction of that time..! Do you support socialism or Fidel? Just wondering?

@shalyfemusic

2 жыл бұрын

@@gregrodriguez714 I hate socialism but I am pretty sure Life under Castro was better than Batista

@gregrodriguez714

2 жыл бұрын

@@shalyfemusic "Pretty Sure" or Certain? Why don't you try your own experiment? Castro's government is still there and very much alive 63 years later. Just try it for 6 months to a year. Then tell me your true life experience there. It's easy to give an opinion based on third party stories either way... But very difficult to dismiss: 1. Total lack of freedom. 2. Total lack of jobs with which you can sustain yourself, let alone a family. 3. The despair that Cubans feel daily, which in turns makes them take to crossing the seas on make shift boats and inner tubes..! to many to list here Shiloh... Ever heard of a Cuban rafter under Batista??? Just saying...

@kinkle_Z

2 жыл бұрын

Apt description!

@kinkle_Z

2 жыл бұрын

@@shalyfemusic I love Socialism because it benefits PEOPLE not PROFIT! But then, I'm a person, not a psychopathic billionaire.

Wow, Excellent documentary! I would love to see an updated version, post Fidel! I missed that my chance to go to Cuba when Obama eased sanctions and hoped that things would change, however I do hope the people are doing better than when this doc was made in the which I didn't look at but I imagine 1990.

According to a Washington Post Article, this originally aired in 1991. It's an important piece film. Cuba today, 73 years after the beginning of the Revolucíon. Watch a video about Cuba today next to see how it all turns out!

15:31 my man looking fresh as hell, shoulda been a model for a toothpaste company man built for it

Have to wonder what Cuba, and Venezuela would be like if we normalized economic relations. Unfortunately, no presidential candidate can win F.L. without the Cuban vote. So strange to me. The Cuban ex-pats only chance to get their property back would be through lifting of restrictions. But they'd rather go to their grave without getting back what was theirs than to shake hands and seek compromise. Man, 60 some years now.

@JG-zt3cg

Жыл бұрын

Not really. Biden lost Florida and still won the election in 2020. We Cubans tend to be quite self-important but nah, you can win the general election without the Cuban American vote.

This is the best documentary I’ve ever seen on Cuba. And the most startling piece of it is the US and Cuba are at the same impasse from 30yrs ago, despite the economic liberalization that has occurred on that island. Which doesn’t seem very fair to Cuba.

@topgonz3224

3 жыл бұрын

it’s not very fair to the cuban people that their sovereigns abuse them, you shouldn’t blame the US disingenuously for cuba’s tyranny and deteriorating culture.

@gmodrules123456789

3 жыл бұрын

@@topgonz3224 Did you watch the documentary?

@willwilliams8266

3 жыл бұрын

There is another good one I just saw talking about how Abraham Lincoln and Carl Marx would correspond with each other and the republican party copied many ideas to put into policy from the Marxist and socialist. Which I have said for years all political parties have a socialist beliefs at the core of their fundamental ideology. The modern day rumpublicans are the definition of nonsocialists. Watch Why did Fidel Intervene in the Angola Civil War and you'll really understand why they kept him under the embargos.

@willwilliams8266

3 жыл бұрын

@@gmodrules123456789 did you watch the part where the US fund the socialist dictator prior to Castro even though Cuba had tyranny and a deteriorating culture under that dictator as well and the US funded Batista anyway. So why was Castro different? Unlike politician today that can be bought with a campaign contribution, he seized their fraudulently obtained assets, then later he helped the Angola defeat the US backed South African apartheid government in the Angolan Civil War and basically helped end apartheid in South African. Defeating the worlds top 2 Super Powers in a proxy war is surely asking for death. If was so evil why didnt they assassinate him? Because the always need a boogie man to distract you from their thievery. So they embargoed his country to death

@gmodrules123456789

3 жыл бұрын

@@willwilliams8266 Are you saying that Fulgencio Batista was a socialist?

Does anyone know the song at the end of this?

Cuba entered famine in the following years after this documentary! I grew up during the 90’s in Miami, and we would here everywhere how desperate things became in Cuba.

@shalyfemusic

2 жыл бұрын

I think thats one of the problems with socialism. Since the economic is centralized in the hands of the governement, it is not uncommon for the economy to be highly reliant to another country if they are allies.

@kimobrien.

2 жыл бұрын

@@shalyfemusic Famine is when people die of hunger that never happened despite the US blockade. Cuba has been able ti survive and move forward.

Well, the second part is much better than the first. The fact that in order to continue to survive has led castro to start using capitalism, in order to bring in the bucks he needs, by getting them through tourism. Good old capitalism turns out to be, in the end the right way to live and live well . Even Russia figured this out and became capitalist. Now, people in Russia have all the food they want, cars (the streets and higways are packed) and anything else they desire. Let's hope that soon Cuba can be the same and all those poor deluded people who stuck with castro can at last be truly free .Of course, 30 years have passed since this film was made and that hasnt happened. People continue to leave Cuba daily and they continue to help their relatives, who are left behind, with supplies and food which cant be gotten in Cuba by them. BTW, all that yummy food and luxurious items you see the tourists getting cannot be had by the citizens of Cuba, not with all the money in the world. theyre totally off limits to them . The bad thing about the tourists having all that luxury and food (you can rent hotel suites in Havana hotels for $750 per night !) is that those tourists go away with the idea that Cuba is a marvellous country, filled with all the riches anyone could want and dont realize that just outside of the areas that the tourists inhabit, the same poverty as before exists .

@joelt7869

Жыл бұрын

yup even China has switched to a form of capitalism.

Thirty years since this doc and some things have changed.

The citizens sacrificed but I understand that Fidel and friends knew how to live the good life in closed communities far from the public eye.

Hoffman: Why not remind us what Cuba was under Batista? A brothel, casino, drug farm, slave state. A US colony.

@willpower3317

3 жыл бұрын

And now, they’re “free” to take whatever scraps are thrown their way by the state. There’s no future in that, obviously.

@ProPatria1919

3 жыл бұрын

Was being a Soviet colony and military outpost so much better? Relying on failing communist system has brought so many on their knees - N-Korea, Vietnam, hell, even the Soviet colossus itself. Utopias just won't last.

@MarshallSmith27

3 жыл бұрын

Not exactly right. The premiership at the time was using the money in his own way instead of taking care of the country. It had nothing to do with the US. The country was bringing in lots and lots of foreign currency and he was squandering it

@belasarusbetus1517

3 жыл бұрын

obviously someone didn't watch part 1.

@Ivandcc1

3 жыл бұрын

did you not watch part 1? he talked about that is very harsh manners, way harsher than alot of cuban exiles would

I graduated from college in the united states and my pay is very low in the usa!

@luisllorens70

3 жыл бұрын

When and what did you study?

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

You would be really surprised at your salary in Cuba..! Plus you would be forced to repay your education by free labor for the government for several years...

@willpower3317

3 жыл бұрын

That’s entirely your fault.

@jackrose2795

3 жыл бұрын

@@gregrodriguez714 just like in the united states.

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

@@jackrose2795 The hell are talking about Jack? In the United States you can either pay for a private education, you can go to a private university on an earned scholarship or go on government grants. Or your parents can pay into college funds, non of this is available in Cuba..! My daughter went to FSU on an eighty percent scholarship, graduated and within a few months was hired at a salary of $45,000 per year without any prior experience. She can can only go up from there..! Really?

Sretni i slobodni!!!

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

The Cuban people are neither Happy or Free my friend..!

What’s the name of the song they were performing?

Cuba was a good place to live we knew a Russian woman who lived there. Iran was a good place to live under the Shah - I spoke to a Russian 95 year old woman who lived there. Syria was a good place to live as well, a Russian woman we knew lived there and liked it. The CIA and the state department ruined these countries in order to have a regime or lack thereof that won’t be a competition to them and could be controlled.

@petritelezi8079

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha,well said.

@18MrChencho

3 жыл бұрын

When was Cuba a good place to live in? I am cuban. The CIA didnt ruin Cuba. The CUban dicattorship ruined Cuba. Farmers cannot own their lands and crops and the people are not allowed to trade. You have no clue what you are talking about. CLose your yap.

Do you understand?

Wow Cuba has checks payible to them for $257355 from that lease agreement they should use that money to buy things they like food and medicine for their ccountry. Americans military will never let military base go or abandoned it. In fact, We all are learning that Socialism, Communism , and Democracy all have issues and problems and some styles just don't work in the modern world for people as time, needs, and even values are changing. Reality is every group or nation will change we won't live to vitness or see it but that includes the USA one day in the future.

What a sad story. After 34 years since this documentary was made (haha, cannot believe James Earl Jones is still alive), the youth dancing in the concerts are nearly 60 years old and they and their children are leaving the country in droves that are beating the Mariel boatlift. Meanwhile, the population is aging and declining. Even the resort food in Varedaro was better back in 1990 than in 2023 when shortages and power outages are common.

who is that woman?

That's what's up

i want to go to cuba

When our leaders have the courage to end the embargo without preconditions the Cuban people will begin to thrive.

@luistpuig

3 жыл бұрын

the problem is not an "embargo," China does commerce with them, so does many nations of Europe, Canadians for example are in Cuba all the time... the problem is a leftist totalitarian dictatorship that stifles the Liberty and the prosperity f the Cuban people...

@pinfold1000

3 жыл бұрын

Canada had a opportunity but failed it was sad

@andrewlikestrains4138

3 жыл бұрын

@@luistpuig The blockade prevents any company that does business with the US from also doing business with Cuba. And that includes subsidiaries. Plus any ship or plane that goes to Cuba has to wait 6 months before going to the US. And the supposed food and medical exemptions are all for show.

@evacope1718

3 жыл бұрын

So communist country needs America's capitalism to survive? The elites will just hoard everything anyways

@Stoicsaiyan

3 жыл бұрын

The embargo isn’t the problem Cuba has over 90 trading partners like Spain Venezuela China Russian and way more and makes billions of tourism

It's interesting that Fidel had no control of this crisis or what caused it. He didn't care either. His country and people would've paid the ultimate price for things out of their own hands....

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

Fidel had no control. I'd like for you to have told this to his face..!!! HAHAHA! He would have paid the ultimate price is true, but not the Cuban people. That's why they are protesting today. Have you seen how the cuban people are dressed compared to the military which are beaten down during their protests for liberty? How well fed the military police compared to the common people of Cuba? It's sad that the average Cuban people have absolutely no control over their own lives or the lives of their children..!

@cultercaldus2994

3 жыл бұрын

What price did Castro pay?

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

@@cultercaldus2994 Fidel paid absolutely no price at all Culter. His people did. The same people he promised to deliver from the evils of capitalism...To end the cast system from. Why are those same people demonstrating in the streets today? Across the entire island? Perhaps he did not achieve his goal????

@cultercaldus2994

3 жыл бұрын

@@gregrodriguez714 Yep.

@s1050

3 жыл бұрын

@@gregrodriguez714 How come more Cubans support the communist government? I’m not listening to a bunch of traitors who would sell their grandma for $5

Guantanamo Bay at 29:30

Occupation by force the Gontanamo.

13:20 Yo soy un hombre sincero.. de donde crecen las palmas... (Jose Marti...)

This was a problem for 61 years of no Free-market, enterprise, no Capitalism, which could have made Cuba the richest country in Latin America.

And we thought it was bad back then, people dressed well and looked much better than today’s Cubans, Cuba is destroyed today and recovery to a stable and healthy live will take severals,severals generations , if ever happen

@CountryFriedCracka

3 жыл бұрын

Cuba has the best standard of life out of all Latino countries life expectancy is better than United States more people die from malnutrition per-capita each year in the United States than in Cuba

@thevally6127

3 жыл бұрын

@@CountryFriedCracka lies why is college grads with privileged lives think communism is great. Y'all can't even keep a job lol sit down

Cuba been the best since day one

@juanpineda25

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂 commy bastards

@danditto6145

3 жыл бұрын

If you have to shoot people to keep them in your Commie state it isn’t very good.

Me encanta que los comentarios se llenen de personas apoyando una dictadura de esta envergadura.

PATRIA O MUERTE NO! PATRIA Y VIDA SI!

Long Live the Cuban Revolution! Hope it does not follow the trap of consumerism. Thanks for the great video! As for Guantano Bay occupied by the American administration it must be returned to Cuba! There is no other way!

@antiguo6355

3 жыл бұрын

In fact whole Cuba was consumed, if that's not consumerism tell me what is

@dwood8721

3 жыл бұрын

Screw the cuban revolution

@joseenrique6491

3 жыл бұрын

Found the classic American with the audacity to defend the Castro regime.

@willpower3317

3 жыл бұрын

@@joseenrique6491 They have, likely, failed at capitalism.

@dwood8721

3 жыл бұрын

@@joseenrique6491 some people are stupid

This like almost all US documentary's makes the mistake of assuming the victory of US Imperialism in the cold war. That did not happen. Instead the people in the East reentered politics. In fact the state of US Imperialism is in worse shape today than thirty years ago. The crisis of 2008, the squabbling among the NATO powers and the route of Imperialist troops in Afghanistan are just some of the symptoms of a world capitalism in crisis.

@kinkle_Z

2 жыл бұрын

Not to mention NATO countries, like the U.S., now supporting and arming Not Sees in Ukraine who are murdering thousands of civilians in the Donbass.

Fidel was ready to use those nuclear warheads too!

Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (Mario Vargas Llosa), ganador del premio Nobel de Literatura durante 2010, aseveró que el socialismo es un infierno. 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 "El sacrificio de los cubanos, de los venezolanos, de los nicaragüenses ha servido para mostrarnos muy de cerca en nuestro propio territorio la verdadera cara del socialismo, que no es el paraíso traído a la tierra sino la tierra convertida en un infierno." 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷 🇺🇸 Marc J. Metivier 🇺🇸

Cuban Metallica.

Animal Farm. Sacrifice for the pigs.

@Candacebbruner

3 жыл бұрын

4 legs good, 2 legs baaaaaaad

@loona_mew

3 жыл бұрын

Animals farm was anti Stalin no anti commuinst

@michaellin7165

3 жыл бұрын

@@loona_mew So was it "pro communist"?

@loona_mew

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaellin7165 pro democratic socialism since Orwell was a democratic socialism

@michaellin7165

3 жыл бұрын

@@loona_mew Socialisms means: "Nationalizing all private businesses" "means of production owned by the state" "100% planed economy" "All prices set by the govt" "equal outcome for all citizens - except those who are more equal" "Zero choice in any aspect of an individual's life, from job, to housing, sometimes even marriage." "You can only read certain books, and listen to govt music, and watch govt movies."

30 years later, this broken down country is STILL LIMPING. oy vey

@beckyroque8950

3 жыл бұрын

60 years of communism in Cuba never made the country more independent . This regimen has been always depending of a foreign county to survive .

@wanderlustworldschooling543

3 жыл бұрын

Pretty impressive they have managed to even survive in the least after being deprived of international trade with the rest of the world 🤷🏻‍♀️

@alejandroavila2646

3 жыл бұрын

@@wanderlustworldschooling543 That never happened. Cuba has always traded with other countries. Our problem has always been the dictators in power.

@wanderlustworldschooling543

3 жыл бұрын

It’s STILL happening. Are you currently in Cuba? Do you have access to the full extent of the US Embargo? The US is throwing a temper tantrum and basically giving other countries an ultimatum about doing business with Cuba OR the US. The US makes it so difficult for other countries to do business with Cuba that they often don’t bother to try. That’s why the country did better under the Soviet Union. (One of the reasons). The Soviet Union didn’t care about the US restrictions. You should look up the details of the US embargo. Even though it gives provisions for medical supplies and food, but the red tape countries have to go through to even trade those necessary items is so ridiculous that many countries don’t bother. I’m not saying that having a dictator isn’t problematic, but I’d say it’s certainly made worse by the restrictions of the US. Batista was a dictator too. But the economy wasn’t nearly as dire under Batista because he had the US in his back pocket and allowed the US to do whatever they wanted in Cuba. That stopped with Castro. I wonder if Castro even intended on being a dictator. Having foreign interference is a major contributing factor to dictators becoming dictators in the first place.

@wanderlustworldschooling543

3 жыл бұрын

@@alejandroavila2646 why do you think the UN and the rest of the world have been trying to get the US to lift the embargo? If it only meant that Cuba couldn’t trade with the US, they wouldn’t care so much. But 184 countries voted for the US to lift the embargo because it has been detrimental to the Cuban economy and directly impacts the Cuban people. The only countries to refuse are the US and Israel. There are other dictators around the world and other embargo’s between countries. The UN recognizes that this particular embargo is ridiculously harsh and is an attempt to manipulate Castro.

¡Viva la Revolución y el Che! ¡Viva el socialismo! ¡Yo soy Fidel! 🇨🇺 ☭

I am a person who is an anti-communist but to be fair, I think Cuba has done it right. I love documentaries that don't demonize a faction.

12:30 "As youngsters they're told that sacrifice is the price of a better future": In the USA as youngsters they're told that taxes are the price of civilization. With government taking 3/4ths of what we earn in the USA, I think we're over civilized.

@beringstraitrailway

2 жыл бұрын

Taxes in U.S.A. are not 75%

another propaganda piece, oozing of us imperialism clearly

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

Oozing. LOL. Communist never ever use propaganda..!!! Cuba is so much better off. Spanish colonialism. US imperialism, and Soviet compatriots... Why then did they abandon them..? Their brothers in arms..???

When this year Castro doesn’t have gray hair he was black. Fake

Russia needs to support Cuba now.

@gregrodriguez714

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. Russia needs to send billions of dollars yearly to maintain the Castro Family in power, after all Cuba has reciprocated so much in return to Russia..?

This is a lovely pro Cuba propaganda piece no wonder you received so much access

@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker

2 жыл бұрын

Darryl: the reason for the access is because of Ted Turner. This film was made for his channel. His executives got the access because he was attempting to get the cable rights for Cuba. David Hoffman filmmaker

@beringstraitrailway

2 жыл бұрын

Did you even watch the video? Although a few Cubans interviewed make optimististic comments, there's plenty of negative things pointed out. I would say this is pretty moderate.

Shame on U uncle same ...occupying independence country's souls because I have the power! Where is ur ethics and moral which u empty talk a lots? Make me sick...it dubbale standards....

Long live the cuban revolution! The fight against imperialism will be won some day, or we will all suffer greatly

@rolanddeschain9880

3 жыл бұрын

Lol they fought against imperislists to create dictatorship Lol what a stupid idea

@apocalypticbanana12

3 жыл бұрын

@@rolanddeschain9880 what’s more stupid is us living in the most violent dictatorial empire in the world and not doing anything about it

@apocalypticbanana12

3 жыл бұрын

@@telubrico how would we know that unless we weren’t living under imperialism

@rolanddeschain9880

3 жыл бұрын

@@apocalypticbanana12 most violent dictatorial empire?lmao do you mean usa? Lmao how usa is dictatorship you crazy fuc@?have you ever read constitution or how system works? If you think usa is most violent try and find countries like north korea,iran,or fuc@ing russia Russia is occupier they did bloody wars in north caucasus,they took crimea and controling 20 percent of teritory

@rolanddeschain9880

3 жыл бұрын

@@apocalypticbanana12 living in this globalised world it is stupid idea to nationalise Economy and big countries always will be angry thats natural If usa stop interving in countries russia will,china etc

Resist, fight and win... We'll win! Viva Fidel!

@beckyroque8950

3 жыл бұрын

That is President Trump says we are going to win win ,win.

21:34 WHY THEY CANNOT IMPORT 35 aMERICANS RATHER THAN IMPORTING 35 MEN EVERYDAY FROM ACROSS THE BORDER?