Cuba's Forgotten Jewels: a Haven in Havana
Marion Finkels Kreith was fourteen when she and her family fled Nazi-occupied Europe and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. At a time when most countries had shut their doors to the refugees, one of the only options for escape was a Caribbean island – Cuba. Among the many Holocaust stories, that of Jewish immigrants who survived by fleeing to Cuba is barely known. Refugees who made it to Havana, including young Marion, found work to support themselves and their family members in a newly transported trade: diamond polishing. Firsthand survivor accounts take us back to 1940s Havana – an era at once tumultuous, heart breaking, and intoxicating – to illuminate an emigration success story.
Spanish and Hebrew subtitled versions available.
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Robin TruesdaleDirectorA Beautiful Equation, Conviction
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Judy KreithDirector
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Project Title (Original Language):JOYAS OLVIDADAS DE CUBA: Un refugio en La Habana
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Immigration, History, Jewish
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Runtime:46 minutes
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Completion Date:February 10, 2017
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Production Budget:210,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:Cuba, United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:1080 24p
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Impact Docs Awards
Award of Merit -
St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs 2019St Petersburg
United States
February 14, 2019 -
Belgium Premiere - Intl Holocaust Awareness DayAntwerp
Belgium
January 27, 2019
European -
Miami Beach CinematequeMiami Beach
United States
March 16, 2018 -
Atlanta Jewish Film FestivalAtlanta
United States
February 3, 2019 -
Miami Jewish Film FestivalMiami
United States
January 17, 2018 -
Seattle Jewish Film FestivalSeattle
United States
March 18, 2018 -
Laemmle TheatersLos Angeles
United States
March 19, 2018 -
Dairy Center for the ArtsBoulder, CO
United States
November 24, 2018
Distribution Information
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National Center for Jewish FilmCountry: WorldwideRights: All Rights
Co-Directed by Robin Truesdale and Judy Kreith
ROBIN TRUESDALE is a documentary filmmaker and the founder of Two Hands Films. She has directed, produced, and edited films that have screened at festivals and conferences worldwide, including A Beautiful Equation: Einstein, Bohr and Grandmothers, a 2015 Platinum Remi Award winner. Robin began her career as a news editor for a Denver television station. After years of constructing news and educational stories through video, she was introduced to documentary film’s powerful potential to communicate deeper stories about people, cultures, and issues of the times. Her work deals primarily with social justice, cultural, and humanitarian issues. Robin received her MS Degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado.
JUDY KREITH is a professional dance educator and choreographer. She received her MA Degree from Stanford University. Her mother, Marion Finkels Kreith, lived in Cuba as a teenage refugee and is the key inspiration for this film. Judy has extensively studied Cuban dance and, in Havana, has also worked on-site with Cuban historians to research the Jewish refugees’ diamond polishing industry that flourished there during the Second World War. Judy contributes her extensive research and knowledge, along with her personal connection and passion for this project and its potential impact. She has spoken on this topic to many groups, including a conference at the University of Antwerp, Belgium in 2015.
Judy Kreith - The story is of sincere personal importance to me because my mother, Marion Finkels Kreith, was one of those refugees. After her escape from Nazi occupied Europe to Cuba, she worked in the little-known but very successful diamond polishing business that was created in Havana during WWll. The industry in Cuba was an economic life-saver for both Cubans and refugees during the war years. In our film, her memories mingle with those of other refugees who recall their escape to Havana and life as immigrants in an exotic and unfamiliar land. It is a poignant tale of resilience and perseverance.
Robin Truesdale - I’m drawn to personal stories, attracted to the faces and voices that share experiences of fear, doubt, surprise, and joy. As both a journalist and a visual artist, my aim is to illuminate stories that are unique and individual, yet also remind us of our commonalities. People circulate around each other’s stories daily, sometimes taking notice for an instant and then moving on, sometimes even turning away. Documentary filmmaking is a way to preserve moments in history – a significant event, a sparkle in someone’s eye, or a leap of faith. Film gives people the chance to look more closely into the lives of others from different backgrounds and lifestyles. More than a form of communication, it offers a pathway to experience and understanding.