Carlos Salum
The film Activimo: Art & Dissidence in Cuba affirms the unstoppable power of Cuban artists to break through a closed, repressive system and connect with the world. The activism of the artists through artwork confirms that the hunger to express individuality, uncover collective dreams, and connect with the world goes beyond limiting ideologies and government oppression. It’s a hunger that must be satisfied, for it defines what being Human is.
--Carlos Salum: President of Salum International Resources, Inc; Leadership Performance Strategist, www.saluminternational.com; Producer, The Honor of God documentary; Author, The Glass is Full and a Half (book); A Voice Screaming to Heaven (stage play)
Allison Jablonko
A beautifully crafted film—Activismo: Art & Dissidence in Cuba provides the space for Cuban dissident artists to tell their stories through intimate discussions of their paintings and performances. I was transfixed by the flow of the images and came away with a new understanding of dissident art and its various meanings, as it has unfolded over the past 60 years in the context of history and philosophy.
–Allison Jablonko, Ph.D.: Visual Anthropolgist
Michael Tharp
Activismo is an honest, moving documentary that uses artists' words and artwork to give viewers the feeling of standing alongside prominent Cuban artists, hearing the why, and seeing the how of their creative expression. A rare opportunity to peer into the lives of leading Cuban dissident-artists. It's imperative for all of us to listen and learn about art, activism, dissidence, and the Cuban history, where artists arose as agents of change.
—Michael Tharp: Graphic Design Artist & Social Humanitarian
An inspiring film, beautifully made, that illuminates art as an act of courage, playing a vital role in civil protest under a repressive regime. The filmmakers dig deep and have crafted a work of art on their own.
—James D. Parriott: Writer, Producer, Show Runner; 2 Golden Globes; 2 Writers Guild Awards; PGA Award. Credits include Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and Patriot among many others.
James D. Parriott
Delroy Lindo
Carole Elchert and Philip Sugden's film poses age-old questions that every creative person in the world has to negotiate for him or herself: Who am I? What does my work represent? Whom does it represent? In presenting the contributing artists the opportunity to answer that question for themselves—and share with us, as audience—we, the audience are enlightened.
—Delroy Lindo: Actor; NY Film Critics’ Circle Award; National Society of Film Critics Award
Eric & Kathy Qualkenbush
My wife and I were privileged to view Phil and Carole’s amazing documentary, Activismo: Art and Dissidence in Cuba. These worldly documentarians have clearly captured the sacrifice artists make every day to express their creativity, particularly in authoritarian states such as Cuba. Having lived in Communist Bulgaria in the 1980s, we know from firsthand experience how the regime leads the population by using fear as its principal motivator and deals brutally with those who have the courage to dissent. We were taken with the stories of Tania Bruguera, Jose Vincench, Jose Toirac, Juan-Si Gonzalez, Geandy Pavon, to name a few of the Cuban activists, who have the amazing courage to use their art as a statement of dissent. These brave people keep alive the hope that free expression will eventually triumph in totalitarian Cuba, just as it did when the people of the former Soviet Union and their satellite states rose up in 1989 to throw off the Communist oppressors who governed them. It is no wonder that this documentary has won so many accolades (six and counting) from both National and International Art and Human Rights film festivals. This documentary is an important contribution to a world that must not forget about the people who still struggle under corrupt, authoritarian regimes.
—Eric & Kathy Qualkenbush: Retired US Diplomats
William Hale, M.D
Elchert and Sugden potently transmit the spiritual force of the artists, who understand that the work they undertake is not mere personal choice, but is a responsibility imparted by their vision. Grammy-nominee Tim Story perfectly scores the dissenting art by integrating discordant sounds captured on location into his mellifluous soundtrack.
The film gives me hope that minds can be changed and, through that, a corner of the world can be changed.
— William Hale, M.D.: Psychiatrist
