Classic movie reels uncovered in Cuba

HAVANA－A collection of 300 classic Chinese films has been uncovered in Havana's China Town.

The movies date back to the first half of the 20th century when the Chinese community on the island operated four of the Cuban capital's many movie theaters.

"We have saved these films from oblivion," says Chinese descendant Maria del Carmen Kouw, one of the experts now taking care of the films at the House of Chinese Arts and Traditions in central Havana.

"I learned Cantonese by watching Chinese martial arts films, and now I am eager to watch them again," says the 72-year-old woman who treasures good memories of the time when she attended Chinese movie premiers with her parents.

The Toothless Tiger, Frightening Birds, and Dances from Northeastern China are some of the titles included in the collection.

Experts have labeled most films after translating the Chinese characters written on the black boxes containing the old reels into Spanish.

However, the stories told in the films remain a mystery due to the lack of state-of-the-art technology to capture them frame by frame.

The Chinese films found in Havana could help future generations widen their knowledge about the history between the two countries, Teresa Maria Lee, director of the cultural institution, says.

"We have found a priceless treasure thought to be lost forever," she says. "We want to convert all of these movies into a digital format before they totally deteriorate."

The House of Chinese Arts and Traditions also exhibited more than 100 audio records donated by Chinese descendants in the Caribbean nation.

The audio collection features Chinese music and messages sent by people in China to their relatives in Cuba.

These recordings show the diversity of Chinese music and culture, says Maria Antonia Arozarena, an expert of heritage conservation at the cultural center.

"We have records dating from the 1920s and others covering different periods of recent Chinese history," she says. "They include Chinese opera, dance music, speeches and letters."

Created in 1995, the House of Chinese Arts and Traditions also preserves books and documents that trace the legacy of Chinese culture in Cuba.

Rolando Julio Rensoly, a senior Cuban historian and researcher, notes the importance of the Chinese culture in Cuban society through many different expressions.

"Chinese migrants and descendants operated important movie-theaters, opened businesses, and shared their music and way of life with the Cuban people," he says. "Preserving this Chinese culture is preserving elements of Cuban culture as well."

Xinhua