October 2021

Epicentro

Film by Hubert Sauper

Starting with the explosion of the American battleship USS Maine in Havana harbour in 1898, which became one of the triggers of the war between the USA and Spain, the filmmaker Hubert Sauper undertakes a tour d’horizon through Cuba’s past and present. This is sometimes reminiscent of Godard’s cinematographic essays, but has a flavour all its own. The film unfolds as a stream of thought and a fascinating visual dérive in which children’s mouths reveal truth and micro-stories are told that contain the big picture and often uncover contradictions. A magic circle in which even clichés are twisted to produce shocks of insight. (after Thomas Mießgang)

Hubert Sauper (born 25 July 1966) is an Austrian documentary filmmaker, director, writer, producer, and actor, Academy Award nominated for best Documentary. Sauper has lived in the UK, Italy, and the United States and now lives in France. He studied film directing in universities in Vienna and France. He regularly teaches film classes in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sauper is famed for his political documentary films, shot in cinema verite style. He earned worldwide recognition for his film’s expression, content, and aesthetics. His films are usually controversial for their explicit political, social, and poetic expression. Sauper’s film Darwin’s Nightmare was nominated for best documentary at the Oscars, and he has been awarded for his work with more than 50 international film prizes, including Venice int. Film Festival, Berlinale, The European Academy Award, the French Academy Award, and two times Sundance wins.