Cinematic nightscapes : Documentary and ethnographic filmmaking in Cuba

Cinematic nightscapes explores how night in contemporary Cuba becomes a powerful space for political expression, imagination and artistic experimentation. Through Cuban documentary film, it examines how the night reshapes ethnographic practices and invites new ways of seeing, listening, feeling and imagining social life. -- .

Cinematic nightscapes explores how the darkness of night in contemporary Cuba becomes a powerful site for political expression, cultural imagination and artistic experimentation. As the rhythms of the day give way to night, a different Cuba emerges, one where protests take shape, marginalized voices reclaim space, and filmmakers reimagine ethnographic and documentary storytelling. This book offers a sensorial and creative journey through Cuban documentary films that engage with the night not just as backdrop, but as a central character—shaping emotions, aesthetics and socio-political discourse. Blending theory with rich visual analysis, Cinematic Nightscapes asks: How does the night alter ethnographic practice? How do Cuban filmmakers use the night to imagine new futures? Through a reflexive, multimodal approach, the book invites readers to experience the complexities of nocturnal life in Cuba, where darkness illuminates new possibilities. Electronic editions of the introduction, chapter 1 and chapter 2 are freely available under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) licence, and can be found on our platform manchesterhive: Introduction: https://www.manchesterhive.com/display/9781526148858/9781526148858.00006.xmlChapter 1: https://www.manchesterhive.com/display/9781526148858/9781526148858.00007.xmlChapter 2: https://www.manchesterhive.com/display/9781526148858/9781526148858.00008.xml -- .