Festival
to increase awareness
By Yoshinori Okada
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
“I wanted to go to Cuba and the only way
to go legally is to participate in delegation,
because there’s a travel ban on U.S. citizens,”
said Jeff Kikawa, one of the delegates from
Long Beach to the 3rd US-Cuba Youth Exchange
and also a member of Cal State Long Beach
Young Socialist Alliance that is sponsoring
Caribbean Film Festival.
“I want to find out for myself what the
Cubans have been doing, what the revolution
means to Cubans and what kind of social
themes they put in practice, and especially
to see the Cuban culture,” Kikawa said.
This two-day event aims to raise money for
the exchange program to Cuba at the end
of July, as well as to increase awareness
of Cuba, its culture and politics, said
Organizer Emily Paul.of the alliance.
The participants of the Youth Exchange decided
on films, considering ones that would not
only be the most beneficial, entertaining
but enlightening as well, Paul said.
“Lucia,” a film about the changes brought
by Cuban Revolution, and “Gay Cuba,” a documentary
film about gay rights in Cuba, were played
Wednesday.
A Russian film on Cuba, “I am Cuba,” and
Fidel Castro’s May Day Speech 2003 are scheduled
to be played 2 p.m. today at USU 305.
As a fundraiser event, the alliance suggests
a $5 or more donation per person a day.
All proceeds will go to help delegates of
the Youth Exchange program pay for the trip
to Cuba.
There will be some discussion after each
film.
“We hope to have some fruitful discussion
on Cuba as there is a lot of misinformation
and unclarity on Cuba in the United States,
Paul said. “This is also the goal of the
exchange, to see for ourselves what Cuba
is about and to discuss and share that experience.”
Seven delegates from Long Beach among total
of about 80 from the Los Angeles area will
go on the exchange trip on July 22.
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