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Habaneros

View on the Pragda STREAM site

Acclaimed filmmaker Julien Temple (The Filth and the FuryAbsolute Beginners) celebrates the rich history of Cuba and its people in a documentary homage to Havana.

Released in North America for the first time, Habaneros weaves together unseen archival footage, animations, movie excerpts, and interviews. The film features a vibrant soundtrack of salsa, jazz, rumba, mambo, and hip hop, presenting key moments in the city’s recent history—from the abolition of slavery at the end of the 19th century to the revolution led by Fidel Castro—through Trump’s first election.

Habaneros was produced in the 2010s, a period marked by economic change, expanding tourism, and increased global exchange. The documentary takes on added significance when viewed from today’s perspective as Cuba faces a deep economic and humanitarian crisis, intensified by renewed U.S. sanctions. In this context, Habaneros captures a recent past that helps illuminate the social resilience, cultural expression, and everyday strategies that continue to shape Cuban life under mounting pressure.

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