Havana Divas

Havana’s Chinatown was once a thriving cultural center for the estimated 200,000 Chinese immigrants living in Cuba, supporting a Cantonese Opera company, three newspapers, and a cinema. Havana Divas bestows a rich sense of the Cantonese Opera in Cuba, following Caridad and Georgina, octogenarian singers who grew up in the Barrio Chino, as they trace their place in history. With the Chinese population now reduced to some 200 people, the vestiges of their culture in Cuba may be crumbling, but Caridad and Georgina are an integral part of its preservation and survival. The film takes us with these two on long-dreamed visits to China courtesy of the film’s producers, where they perform with Chinese stars and on historic Cantonese Opera stages; we are also see intimate performances with their friends and family. Havana Divas uncovers a delightful intersection of cultures while teaching us a thing or two about history and the value of tradition. (CAAMFest)