Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
Rethinking Cuban Civil Society
TITLE DETAILS

Rethinking Cuban Civil Society

2019-01-01 · 37 min · ★ 5.0

Documentary

The notion of a Cuban civil society is often misrepresented in the U.S. mainstream media. According to most sources, Cuban civil society is limited to the opposition, which has little impact on the Cuban political scenario. Regardless, yearly, the U.S. government allocates tens of millions of taxpayer money to empower dissidents in the island. By doing so, it overlooks genuine expressions of pluralism, reform and contestation which are shaping the Cuban public sphere, sometimes in autonomous ways, sometimes within State-run institutions. Through in-depth interviews to members of Cuban Civil society, this documentary explores the complexities associated to these processes, following the itinerary of the debate about the concept of civil society generated in Cuba, since the 90s to the present.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
María Isabel Alfonso
Production companies
Icarus Films
Countries
Unavailable
Status
Released

Top Cast

Cast unavailable.

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Recommendations

Cuba and the Cameraman
★ 7.5
Cuba and the Cameraman2017Documentary

This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.

Buena Vista Social Club
★ 7.5
Buena Vista Social Club1999Documentary

In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.

Comandante
★ 6.6
Comandante2003Documentary

Oliver Stone spends three days filming with Fidel Castro in Cuba, discussing an array of subjects with the president such as his rise to power, fellow revolutionary Che Guevara, the Cuban Missile crisis, and the present state of the country.

Fuck
★ 6.4
Fuck2006Documentary

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
★ 6.4
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library2017Documentary

A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear
★ 7.0
Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear2022Documentary

Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
★ 7.0
The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button2009Documentary

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
★ 6.5
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora2010Documentary

The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
★ 6.6
The U.S. vs. John Lennon2006Documentary

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

Come See Me in the Good Light
★ 7.0
Come See Me in the Good Light2025Documentary

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News
★ 6.6
After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News2020Documentary

An investigation into the ongoing threat caused by the phenomenon of “fake news” in the U.S., focusing on the real-life consequences that disinformation, conspiracy theories and false news stories have on the average citizen.

Becoming
★ 7.2
Becoming2020Documentary

Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others as she tours with "Becoming."

S4: The Bob Lazar Story
★ 8.4
S4: The Bob Lazar Story2026Documentary

Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
★ 7.8
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty2000Documentary

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

Directed by John Ford
★ 7.0
Directed by John Ford1971Documentary

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

The Curse of the Dragon
★ 7.2
The Curse of the Dragon1993Documentary

A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century
★ 6.5
Capital in the Twenty-First Century2019Documentary

Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
★ 8.1
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King2020Documentary

A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.

The Class of ‘92
★ 7.1
The Class of ‘922013Documentary

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me
★ 6.1
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me2023Documentary

From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.

Similar titles

Cuba Jazz
Not rated
Cuba Jazz2015Documentary

Teresita's Dream
Not rated
Teresita's Dream2025Documentary

Teresita's Dream follows the extraordinary story of Cuban scientist Teresita Rodríguez. When her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Teresita embarks on a deeply personal and politically complex journey to find a treatment – joined by a team of mostly women scientists. What begins as an effort to help her mother, leads to a discovery that could change how the world treats this devastating disease forever.

Cuba, a People Armed
★ 6.0
Cuba, a People Armed1961Documentary

Shot in Cuba in 1961, this documentary follows a volunteer militia brigade organized in defense of the Cuban Revolution. Joris Ivens and his crew observe military training, daily life, and collective discipline among civilian volunteers. The film emphasizes popular mobilization as a defining feature of the revolutionary state.

Suite Tortilla #59: The Celluloid Women
Not rated
Suite Tortilla #59: The Celluloid Women2024Documentary

An American lesbian in Cuba explores gender through dance and film, blending personal experiences and cultural symbols with music and Revolutionary cinema and questions how lesbians fit into Cuban cinema.

Repainting Cuba
★ 5.0
Repainting Cuba2009Documentary

Repainting Cuba takes a critical look at communist Cuba, where both the facades and the aging regime were given a coating of colorful paint in connection with the 50 year anniversary of the revolution. Two young Cubans under house arrest talk about being imprisoned for dealing with foreign tourists in a society where gossip and backstabbing is endemic, and where the heavy varnish can’t conceal the cracks.

Gift of the Game
★ 10.0
Gift of the Game2002Documentary

Acclaimed Florida novelist Randy Wayne White travels to Cuba with former pitchers Bill "Spaceman" Lee (Boston Red Sox) and Jon Warden (Detroit Tigers), and a band of baseball enthusiasts to find and revive the children's baseball league founded by American writer Ernest Hemingway in the days before Fidel Castro came to power.

Personal Che
★ 10.0
Personal Che2007Documentary

A documentary that explores the myth behind the truth. Different people around the globe reinterpret the legend of Che Guevara at will: from the rebel living in Hong Kong fighting Chinese domination, to the German neonazi preaching revolution and the Castro-hating Cuban. Their testimonies prove that the Argentinian revolutionary's historical impact reverberates still. But like with all legends, each sees what he will, in often contradictory perspectives.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Dueño del tiempo1989Documentary

Sicko
★ 7.4
Sicko2007Documentary

A documentary about the corrupt health care system in The United States whose main goal is to make profit even if it means losing people’s lives. "The more people you deny health insurance, the more money we make" is the business model for health care providers in America.

8A
★ 7.0
8A1993Documentary

The Kafkaesque world of Cuba under Castro's rule is brought to light in this reconstruction of the 1989 trial and execution of General Arnaldo Ochoa Sanchez, the highest-ranking general and hero of the revolution, and commander of the Angolan and Ethiopian campaigns.

Buena Vista Social Club
★ 7.5
Buena Vista Social Club1999Documentary

In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.

Poster unavailable
★ 9.0
Fredens port1996Documentary

In a culture where cremation is unusual, cemeteries fill up rapidly. In Latin America and in some other places, to solve the problem, remains are frequently exhumed. In Cuba, two year after interment. Relatives are invited to observe the little ritual. The music of the film is drawn from requiems from different periods. Twelve pieces by seven different composers are quoted. Together, they make up a traditional requiem, although only a few passages from the "dies irae" have been included, and other sections are slightly abbreviated.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Gold of Cuba1965Documentary

"Gold of Cuba" is a documentary by Argentine filmmaker Alejandro Saderman that shows the development of Cuba through the promotion of its main industry: sugar. From the discovery of America to the figure of Reinaldo Castro, National Hero of Labor as a sugarcane cutter, the film discusses the introduction of mechanical harvesters, including the African slave labor that would later be replaced, with the abolition of slavery, by Chinese sugarcane cutters.

Return
★ 9.0
Return2023Documentary

Documentary about emigration between the Canary Islands and Cuba during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
A Short Radiography of Hip Hop in Cuba2004Documentary

A look at the history of hip-hop culture in Cuba through the eyes of Rodolfo Rensoli, founder of the Cuban Hip Hop Festival.

Cuba and the Cameraman
★ 7.5
Cuba and the Cameraman2017Documentary

This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.

Cerro Pelado
★ 5.7
Cerro Pelado1966Documentary

A ship of athletes training on the rough seas becomes a symbol of Castro’s Cuba, the games projected on the backdrop of political struggle. This is the story of a ship and of a sports delegation whom the enemy tried to stop from participating in the Tenth Central American and Caribbean Games.

Island Ablazed
Not rated
Island Ablazed1961Documentary

Documentary recounting the story of the Cuban Revolution and its impact on the young people of Cuba.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
The Island2017Documentary

Dos Islas is a poetic story about old age, family and the bond between a granddaughter and a grandmother. The woman, who just turned 102, tells stories about her past and childhood. In a literary and visual way she describes the most minute details. The film dazzles the viewer with love and optimism, the time passes slowly between the two islands, which might be real people, real places or the products of the main character’s imagination.

Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution
Not rated
Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution2015Documentary

A deconstruction of the known history of the Cuban revolution.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.