The Soviet Influence on Cuban Animation

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Cuban animation

This short video story on the BBC is ostensibly about the influence of Soviet animation on Cuban kids between the 1960s and ’90s, but it also offers an all-too-brief glimpse of the Cuban animation industry. Does anyone know if it’s filmed in a school or a studio?

(Thanks, Simon Acosta)

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  • http://www.animationinsider.net/ Aaron B.

    Excellent find.

  • Chris Sobieniak

    There is an animation studio that’s operated by The Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) that has produced many animated productions over the past 50 years, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other studios or schools for animation in the country these days, though perhaps someone may chime in with that here.

    No doubt the Soviet influence would be there though I like where they’ve gone with it a little, though it can be dicey like with the “Filminutos” I’ve seen.

  • x

    Cuba had (and has?) a very strong graphic design school, with a lot of personality. But the cartoons i can think of now (Vampiros en la Habana, the animated version of Mafalda) do not lived up to that standard… It would be interesting to know more on what stuff they’re now.

  • looniINmiami

    In Cuba, all the kids would empty the streets when a good old show like Huckleberry Hound or the Flintstones would come on t.v.Ninja turtles were huge there!

    There’s a story of a famous kid’s show host who got canned cause he told the Cuban kids that if they didn’t laugh at his jokes , he would only play Russian cartoons for them.

    • Chris Sobieniak

      Nice to see the American shows also played well there (guess the embargo didn’t extend to entertainment perhaps).

  • http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/index/ truteal

    The only Cuban animation I know is Vampires in Havana