From Cuba to America, and back again
By Anna Blanco (Jour)
In the early 1960s, Operation Peter Pan brought 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States. One of them, 10-year-old Guillermo 鈥淏ill鈥� Vidal, would grow up to become the mayor of Denver.
More than five decades after Vidal鈥檚 journey from Cuba to America, CMCI students made the 2,064-mile trip in reverse to tell Vidal鈥檚 story in their documentary, 驴Como Fue? A Cuban Journey.
Photo by Ross Taylor
Guillermo 鈥淏ill鈥� Vidal stands near his former home in Cuba.听
The project鈥攚hich began in 2016 and included 11 CU Boulder students, faculty and staff鈥攂rought the group to sites throughout Cuba, where Vidal spent the early part of his life before traveling to America.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a really interesting story, what happened to the children that听came out of Cuba and the things they鈥檝e been able to do here in this country as immigrants,鈥� says Mollie Putzig (MJour鈥�16), who served as a videographer for the film. 鈥淕uillermo is obviously a shining example of success and hard work that immigrants put into this country.鈥�
The project was a collaboration between the investigative student news program, , and the University of Colorado Denver, where Vidal received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1973. Since its completion, 驴Como Fue? has appeared in 10 film festivals across the country. The film has earned four awards, with the most recent being for Best in Show at the Vero Beach Film Festival in Florida.
In addition to gaining hands-on experience in journalism and documentary filmmaking, students who worked on 驴Como Fue? had a chance to experience life in another country. While filming, the crew stayed with local families who helped give them a sense of Cuban culture.
鈥淥n our first afternoon in Havana, we turned the first corner we came to and heard the most amazing, happy salseros playing beautiful music at a cafe,鈥� says Jeff Browne, the film鈥檚 executive producer who formerly directed CU News Corps and is now the executive director of Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society at University of Iowa. 鈥淥f course we started recording immediately, but that didn鈥檛 take away from the sheer pleasure of hearing them play.鈥�
Cuban music was an integral part of the trip. The film鈥檚 name was inspired by a favorite song of Vidal鈥檚 by the Cuban musician Benny Mor茅.
After documenting the sounds, sights and people that shaped Vidal鈥檚 life鈥攂oth in the U.S. and in Cuba鈥攖he crew returned to Boulder to produce the film.听
鈥淎fter you export it, it鈥檚 almost like you鈥檝e brought a living thing into the world,鈥� says Emilie Johnson, the film鈥檚 director of photography and the media, production and technology manager at CMCI. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not truly living, but it does have a pulse and a purpose. And so, it鈥檚 just rewarding to share somebody else鈥檚 story.鈥�