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Series XXV: Those Who Left, 1980-1981, inclusive

Scope and Content Note

Those Who Left (Los Que Se Fueron) is a 58-minute documentary released in 1980 about Cubans who left their country after the 1959 revolution to live in the United States. In the documentary, Estela Bravo sheds light on major events in the history of US-Cuba relations including Operation Peter Pan and the Mariel Boatlift. The documentary also features interviews with Cuban Americans in favor of normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba, and others who support the overthrow of the communist government in Cuba. This series contains interviews with individuals featured in the documentary, footage of immigration workers, and incomplete portions of the documentary, and an early version of the film, which was originally called El Dialogo.

Those Who Left, 1980

reel: ref2173 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Casal, Lourdes: Interview (also other footage), circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 83, DVD: ref772 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Scope and Content Note

The footage begins with Estela Bravo speaking with several people, then some scenes of group dancing, followed at about 00:01:20, by an interview with Lourdes Casal that lasts for about 17 minutes. At the end is a brief black and white clip with Spanish narration at what appears to be an old building with commemorative signs.

Historical/Biographical Note

Lourdes Casal (1938-1981) was a Cuban poet, sociologist, and activist. She participated in anti-Batista activities in college, but later left Cuba following the revolution. She moved to New York City in 1962, where she attended the New School and received a PhD in Social Psychology. In 1969 she founded the Institute of Cuban Studies. She later returned to Cuba on a number of occasions. On a trip to Cuba in 1979, her health deteriorated and she decided to stay, dying there in 1981.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:22:00.

Casal, Lourdes: Interview (brief), circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 83, DVD: ref773 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Scope and Content Note

This brief footage includes about four minutes of an interview with Lourdes Casal. The rest is footage of a march with Estela Bravo speaking to participants. The quality of this footage is poor but it is viewable.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:09:00.

Casal, Lourdes: Event (with additional footage), 1980, inclusive

Box: 83, DVD: ref777 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Scope and Content Note

The first portion of the tape appears to be the ending of an event honoring Lourdes Casal. The event features a speech about Casal, which is followed by long applause.

The remainder of the footage is of Estela Bravo and seven young people who represent a group who left Cuba but returned as volunteers for construction projects. Bravo asks a few questions, but mostly the volunteers speak. The sound and image quality are poor, but the footage is viewable.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:09:00.

Casal, Lourdes, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 96, DVD: ref1353 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Contents

This video contains a recording of television program about poet Lourdes Casal created by Los Servicios Informativos de la Televisión Cubana. The program features an interview with Casal about the ways in which her life in Cuban and the United States shaped her politics and her writing career. The program also features footage of her funeral in 1981, and brief interview with mourners talking about her significance as a poet and voice of the people. It includes footage of the event in which she was posthumously awarded the Casa De Las Americas Prize in 1981.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:24:20

"Catholic Center", 1980, inclusive

Box: 60, Cassette: ref1359 (Material Type: video)

Cubans in New York: One Year Later, 1981 April-May, inclusive

Box: 98, DVD: ref1354 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This documentary is in Spanish.

Scope and Content Note

This video features a complete version of the television program Cubanos en Nueva York: Un Año Después (Cubans in New York: One Year Later). The program was produced for Cuban television by Estela Bravo and contains follow-up interviews with Cubans featured in her documentary Los Que Se Fueron (Those Who Left). Video and audio quality of this recording are very poor.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:20:30.

"Dialogo R1 Those Who Left", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 55, Cassette: ref1285 (Material Type: video)

"El Dialogo Early Version of Those Who Left", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 55, Cassette: ref1284 (Material Type: video)

"Escoria" of Union City Interviews, undated

Box: 98, DVD: ref1319 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Content Note

This video features black-and-white footage of interviews with Cuban men who left Cuba for the United States. The footage features a series of on-the-street interviews conducted by Estela Bravo in Union City, New Jersey in which she asks the men why they traveled to the United States and what they hoped to find. The majority of the men interviewed were living in the United States for less than a year at the time the interviews were conducted. Many mention that they left Cuba because they did not agree with the communist government. Others explain that they left to find better work and earn money although several mention that they have had a difficult time finding work in the United States. They likewise describe finding it difficult to get adequate housing and access to medical care. One man notes that he has received little support from the existing Cuban community in the US, and has received more support from other immigrant groups including Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. Some of the men mention travelling to the US as part of the Mariel Boatlift. The term "escoria" refers to a statement made by Fidel Castro about Cuban exiles, comparing those who left to escoria (scum).

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:57:25.

"Free Havana (Havana Libre) 2 Outside Immigration", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 97, DVD: ref798 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Contents

This video begins with an interview with a man who traveled from Miami to Cuba to visit family. In this segment he discusses his impression of the country, which he contrasts with his experience of traveling to Jamaica. The video then changes to on-the-street interviews with Cubans, many of whom express their interest in leaving the country for the United States or Canada. They discuss their reasons for wanting to leave, and what they hope to find outside of Cuba. Many express dissatisfaction with the government and a desire be reunited with family members who have already left Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:22:18.

"Free Havana (Havana Libre) 1 Common people's opinion", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 97, DVD: ref794 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Contents

This videos features several short on-the-street interviews and segments of footage filmed in Havana around 1991. The video begins with a brief interview with a taxi driver about his work and life in Cuba. The segment is followed by a 10-minute interview with a Cuban military leader and a Spaniard living in Cuba named Ignacio "el Gallego" Gonzalez. They talk about three Spaniards, including Gonzalez, who fought for Castro during the Cuban Revolution. The end of the video features on-the-street interviews with individuals in Havana about increased tourism in Cuba, and their opinions about people from the Cuban exile community traveling back to the country.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:22:04.

Footage: Carlos Muniz and interviews with Cuban Immigration staff, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 83, DVD: ref789 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Scope and Content Note

The first eight minutes are old black and white footage telling the story of Carlos Muniz. There is no sound. This is followed by Estela Bravo interviewing a room of women in uniform. They are from the Cuban Immigration Department. The final few minutes appear to involve working men outside. There is a line of people waiting to obtain passports. All of the footage is in Spanish.

Historical/Biographical Note

Carlos Muniz Varela (1953-1979), along with his sister, was sent from Cuba to the United States in 1961 as a part of Operation Peter Pan. He later became an outspoken activist in favor of normalization between the United States and Cuba. On April 28, 1979, Muniz was ambushed while driving in San Juan, Puerto Rico and shot several times, most likely by individuals from a counterrevolutionary organization.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:22:00.

Footage including events and interviews, 1980, inclusive

Box: 75, DVD: ref3 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:10:20.

Interview with Estela Bravo, circa 1980

Box: Electronic Records, E-records: TW_TAM_616_ER_14 (Material Type: electronic records)

Digital materials

Interview with Estela Bravo: circa 1980 (Material Type: Electronic Record)

"Mariel Flotilla (Those Who Left)", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 36, Cassette: ref694 (Material Type: video)

Street Interviews, undated

Box: 25, Cassette: 583 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Content Note

This video contains street interviews with people in New York City. Estela asks if their lives are better in the United States than in their home countries and if life in the U.S. is what they expected. The interviewees discuss the high cost of living in the U.S. Estela asks if there is equal treatment for Black people and those who speak Spanish. The video ends with cutaways and close-ups of the interviewees.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:20:01.

Union City Interviews, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 66, Cassette: ref1360 (Material Type: video)
Box: 98, DVD: ref1360 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Content Note

This video contains on-the-street interviews with Cuban exiles in Union City, New Jersey. Footage on this tape is duplicated on tape ref1319. Video quality of this tape is poor.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 01:02:26.

Those Who Left (Los Que Se Fueron), circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 96, DVD: ref1269 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This documentary is in Spanish.

Scope and Contents

This is an almost complete full-length version of the documentary feature Those Who Left (Los Que Se Fueron). Video quality of this recording is poor in places and the recording ends abruptly before the credits appear.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 01:02:11.

Los Que Se Fueron 1st Part, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 55, Cassette: ref1282 (Material Type: video)

"Los Que Se Fueron", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 57, Cassette: ref1303 (Material Type: video)

"Los que se Fueron", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 32, U-matic: ref474 (Material Type: video)

"Those Who Left #1", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 45, Cassette: ref980 (Material Type: video)

Those Who Left: Second Part, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 97, DVD: ref981 (Material Type: Moving Images)

Language of Materials

This video is in Spanish.

Scope and Contents

This video contains a portion of the documentary Those Who Left. Video quality of this recording is poor and does not include a complete copy of the documentary.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original Format: Umatic. Duration: 00:19:52.

"Those Who Left", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 55, Cassette: ref1277 (Material Type: video)

"Those Who Left Historical Footage with Sound #2", circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 58, Cassette: ref1331 (Material Type: video)
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012