Text and Photos by Nester Nuñez (Joven Cuba)
HAVANA TIMES – The blanket, the old bedspread, or the yoga mat, held by the mother’s hands, unfurls in the air a few seconds before landing spread out on the asphalt. Then the children jump on it with the excitement of having boarded a flying carpet. From their spot in the aircraft, they watch others arriving, greet that little friend from school or the neighborhood, and munch on the popcorn their mother hands them. They will stay in the same place for two hours, but their fantastic journey began a while earlier, when they found out they were going to see a movie at the parking lot today.
They are in Havana, at a place called La Puntilla, very close to the sea. Behind them is a ruined building that is a poem for the eyes, a painful one, of farewells and twilight. The jagged concrete, the political slogan on that wall, the salt in the air, and the many people, mostly young, who arrive and occupy the few empty spaces. They come on bikes, rollerblades, electric scooters, or walking alone or in groups. I see the effusive hugs and smiles on everyone’s faces. One person, talking on the phone, says as a greeting: “Park yourself, my friend.”
They gather, supposedly, to enjoy the art, the magic of open-air cinema, but from the back, the movie audio cannot be heard, and no matter how stoic they are, it is uncomfortable to sit on the ground for at least two hours. So, there must be something more. Maybe they feel empowered by reversing the usual use of the parking lot or taking over the surrounding empty space