CubaMar's documentary to be aired on Cuban television

Asli Pelit (left), Fernando Bretos (right)

By: Fernando Bretos and Asli Pelit

​CubaMar and filmmaker Ziggy Livnat recently released a documentary about the fishing community of Cocodrilo, Cuba. Funded by a grant from the Conservation Media Group, the film tells the story of Cocodrilo, an isolated fishing community located on the remote southern coast of Isla de la Juventud. Cocodrilo youth and fishers speak candidly about how the ocean impacts their lives and how they wish to dedicate their careers and livelihoods to protecting it. The film can be viewed in its entirety here.
 
It has been CubaMar’s goal to have the film shown on Cuban television given its portrayal of Cocodrilo as a potential model for other remote Cuban fishing communities. Specifically, the film explores how a community that for over a century relied on extractive use of the ocean (fishing and specifically turtle fishing) can transition to a model that values marine resources such as coral reefs or turtles for their non-extractive value (ecotourism).  Following almost a year of meetings with Cuban Institute of Radio and Television Island of Youth-Island of Change will air on Cuban television.
 
The documentary will screen in September 2018, on Cubavision International’s weekly travel show: Esto es Cuba. In advance of the screening, Esto es Cuba’s producers invited CubaMar Director Fernando Bretos and Producer Asli Pelit to Cuba in August for a special interview to introduce the documentary. During the interview Bretos and Pelit responded to journalist Dianik Flores’s questions about the documentary, Cocodrilo and its residents, as well as production related questions and why the documentary was made.
 
Cubavision International is an internationally broadcasted Spanish-language channel run by Cuban national broadcaster, Cuban Institute of Radio and Television. The channel offers the world a variety of programming, the production of which is entirely Cuban. Among the programming highlights are soap operas, music programs, documentaries on flora and fauna, history of the country and various information and opinion. Esto Es Cuba is one of Cubavision International’s weekly shows, hosted by Dianik Flores. Flores explained the show as “a travel show that promotes remote places in Cuba.”

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Dianik Flores (center) with Asli and Fernando