Tomas Gutierrez Alea - Memories of Underdevelopment

Hailed as one of – if not the most – sophisticated film ever to come out of Cuba in the early days of Castro’s revolution, Memories Of Underdevelopment (Memorias Del Subdesarollo) is visionary Cuban director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea’s tour de force.

Listed at number fifty-four on Derek Malcolm’s 100 Greatest Movies, this cinematic masterpiece will receive its UK theatrical release on 11 July 2008.

Memories Of Underdevelopment follows Sergio (Sergio Corrieri - Soy Cuba), through his life following the departure of his wife, parents and friends in the wake of the Bay of Pigs incident. Alone in a brave new world, Sergio observes the constant threat of foreign invasion while chasing young women all over Havana before finally meeting Elena (Daisy Granados), a young virgin girl he seeks to mould into the image of his ex-wife, but at what cost to himself?

Even though director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea was a staunch and devoted supporter of the revolution, Memories of Underdevelopment makes a raw and uncompromising analysis of the newly formed system of government. Through a moving blend of narrative fiction, still photography and rare documentary footage, Alea catalogues the intricacies of the early days of the Castro regime; producing a stirring and enigmatic work that feeds from the culture of the very subject it is studying; Cuba.


Dazzling and highly accomplished Time Out

A landmark The Guardian

A fascinating achievement New York Times



SPECIFICATIONS

DVD9 PAL / All Regions / Dolby digital / Black & White
Running Time 97 minutes
Rated 15
Spanish with English subtitles
Licensed Contemporary Films LTD