Dream Havana is an independent film by documentary filmmaker Gary marks. It tells the story of contemporary
Cuban writers and poets Ernesto Santana and Jorge Mota. Their friendship was formed in Havana during the 70's,
but was put to the test during Cuba's "Special Period", the years in Cuba immediately following the fall of the
Berlin Wall. On August 5th, 1994, the day of the food riots or "El Maleconazo", in Havana, Jorge in search of
greater freedom, made his final decision to flee the island, while Santana chose to stay.
Using the deeply Cuban poetry of the two men as structure, Dream Havana, takes us from Santana and Mota's formative years
as writers and friends to their recent successes. In Havana, Santana was awarded the Alejco Carpentier Award for this first
novel, Ave y Nada and Mota, now residing in America won the National Association of Hispanic Journalists's highest award for
investigative journalism.
One of many contemporary films about Cuba, this stirring and provocative documentary is remarkable for its subtle and even
handed approach to the issues of Cuban politics, universal friendship and freedom of choice.
