From Havana to Hollywood

"…From Havana to Hollywood makes a well-developed argument for narrative and aesthetic strategies that empathize agency, liberation, and power." — Cineaste

"Kaisary provides an insightful analysis of portrayals of Black agency in films of the period, and he shows how selected films emphasized or neglected Black resistance to slavery This study is particularly valuable by bringing often-neglected films to the attention of new audiences and linking the complex interrelationships between slavery, media representations, global capitalism, and imperialism." — CHOICE

"In bringing Cuban films to the fore, From Havana to Hollywood expands our understanding of films about slavery globally and illuminates the distinctive perspectives and contributions of Afro-Latin American histories and cultures. The book's lessons about depictions of oppressive regimes and resistance to them will be pertinent for students of Black cinema across national contexts." — Reighan Gillam, author of Visualizing Black Lives: Ownership and Control in Afro-Brazilian Media

"From Havana to Hollywood offers a fascinating examination of Black agency and resistance as portrayed in film. The study is a joy to read, recuperating lesser-known films and offering important critiques of more famous ones such as 12 Years a Slave. Overall, Kaisary shows that, when films make slavery's evils seem individual rather than systemic, they hamper efforts to achieve reparative justice in the present." — Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall, author of Slave Revolt on Screen: The Haitian Revolution in Film and Video Games

"From Havana to Hollywood reshapes how we think about the history of slavery. It can be read by a range of publics, from film fans to undergraduates to professional scholars. Anyone who does not know the films here will go on a mission to see them. Anyone who knows the films will learn far more about them." — Jerry W. Carlson, The City College and Graduate Center CUNY