Troy University Library hosts Cuban Film Festival

The Troy University Library will be hosting a Cuban film festival this month. Every Tuesday evening for the next three weeks a film will be screened in Patterson Hall Room 103 at 4 p.m.

Instrumental in organizing the festival was Lisa Vardaman, instructional media librarian at the Troy campus library.

Vardaman was inspired in part by her participation in Troy University’s first Study Abroad trip to Cuba.

“Getting the opportunity to travel to Cuba was a great thrill,” Vardaman said.

She has traveled abroad with Semester Abroad, but she called the trip to Cuba “a rare event for Americans.”

The first film screened will be “Juan of the Dead” on Feb. 11. Vardaman will host the event. This movie is a zombie satire.

On Feb. 18, “The Motorcycle Diaries” will be screened, and Johanna Alberich, an assistant professor in the Modern Languages and Classics Department, will host.

“The Motorcycle Diaries” follows Che Guevara on a transformative motorcycle trip.

The final film will be “Buena Vista Social Club” on Feb. 25, hosted by Doc Kirby, a lecturer in the Hall School of Communication. This film is a documentary about a group of traditional Cuban musicians.

The Study Abroad group saw the band on its trip to Cuba.

“They still have two singers who are in their 90’s and a flute player who is in his 90’s, and they can still bring it,” Kirby said.

Alberich and Kirby are both faculty team leaders for the festival.

Kirby has been to Cuba several times, and he and Alberich led the trip to Cuba. They are also planning another trip May 12-23 that students and faculty are invited to join.

“It would be a delight if we got some people who were interested enough in Cuba that they’d like to study abroad with us,” Kirby said.

According to Kirby, we are in the only university in Alabama taking students to Cuba.

“If you’re wise and discrete then you can have a great time,” Kirby said.