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In J.J. Lankes: Yankee Printmaker in Virginia , Eduardo Montes-Bradley traces the life and legacy of Julius John Lankes, a printmaker whose woodcuts evoke an enduring vision of rural America. Filmed over the course of two years beginning in 2017, the documentary sets out not only to uncover the life of an artist but to understand the tensions—industrial versus agrarian, communal versus individual, modern versus traditional—that shaped both his work and his times. Two portraits of Lankes Born in 1884 in Buffalo, New York, Lankes came of age in a rapidly transforming America. His German immigrant family lived at the edge of the industrial boom, and his early training as a draftsman placed him in the service of mechanical invention and manufacturing. Yet from the start, Lankes was drawn to something quieter and more permanent: hand-carved images that resisted the machinery of modernity. His first woodcut, made with a borrowed engraving tool on applewood, marked the beginning of a long and prolific career rooted in the aesthetics and ethics of manual labor. Though he would ultimately carve over 1,300 woodcuts, Lankes’s vision was not forged in isolation. The film carefully reconstructs his relationships with major literary and artistic figures, most notably Robert Frost . Their friendship—born from shared values and a shared love of the American landscape—produced over a hundred images that now serve as visual counterparts to Frost’s poetry. In many ways, Lankes’s woodcuts and Frost’s verse reflect one another: both artists sought to preserve a vanishing agrarian life, and both were wary of industrial encroachment. One of many rural barns carved by Lankes WATCH THE FILM The documentary also explores Lankes’s connection with other influential figures such as Sherwood Anderson and Rockwell Kent . With Anderson, Lankes collaborated on a series of essays that reflected on the promise and fragility of rural life, while his professional dealings with Kent—who shared his early political leanings—speak to the vibrant but contested terrain of leftist thought in early 20th-century America. Lankes briefly contributed to Communist publications and expressed solidarity with workers’ causes, but like many of his contemporaries, he grew disillusioned with collectivism and eventually embraced a fiercely individualistic path. Julius John Lankes: Yankee Printmaker in Virginia The story takes a turn when Lankes relocates to Hilton Village, Virginia. There, the northern idealist found himself in the midst of the conservative South, among remnants of Confederate nostalgia and Jim Crow segregation. Yet the setting allowed him to continue chronicling life untouched by industry. His images of Virginia’s backroads, farms, and towns capture a region suspended in time, where the values he cherished still seemed to hold sway. From the Virginia series of woodcuts Throughout the film, Montes-Bradley weaves personal archival materials, interviews, and on-location filming with understated sensitivity. We see Lankes’s legacy not only through his prints but also through the memories of scholars, collectors, and descendants who help reconstruct the arc of his life—from Buffalo to Europe, from Vermont to Virginia. As the film progresses, it also becomes clear that Lankes’s journey mirrors that of many American artists who came of age between the world wars: caught between progressive idealism and political disillusionment, between craftsmanship and the mechanization of art, between personal conviction and public suspicion. His final years at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the precursor to NASA) suggest a quiet compromise. The artist who once sought to carve an American identity in wood returned, late in life, to the role of government draftsman—only to be later dismissed, perhaps due to lingering associations with his earlier political sympathies. Wilford Taylor (biographer) and Jeffrey Plank (scholar-researcher). Montes-Bradley by Lankes Grave One of the film’s most poignant moments recounts Robert Frost’s final visit to Lankes, then bedridden after a stroke. The two friends exchanged a simple, bitterly humorous greeting—“Goddamn it all”—a phrase that perhaps encapsulates a shared resignation, a life’s worth of frustrations and beauty distilled into five syllables. J.J. Lankes: Yankee Printmaker in Virginia is more than a biography. It is a meditation on the relationship between image and word, place and identity, labor and art. Without resorting to hagiography, the film allows viewers to appreciate Lankes’s contributions to American visual culture while also understanding the contradictions he lived with. As we follow his footsteps—from Frost’s hayloft in Vermont to Anderson’s cottage in Appalachia, from Weimar Germany to the Virginia tidewater—we come to see the contours of a uniquely American life, one carved with care, conviction, and clarity.

He would occasionally ride his bicycle and visit with a bag full of tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers from his garden on the other side of Lewis Mountain. John was a friend of mine—a poet and a scientist. I miss John Herr, and I made this film. PLAY MOVIE From John, I learned that there is poetry in science. He knew how to look into unicellular organisms as a lover looks into the eyes of another. We fished together on the Shenandoah River, floated other waters, and, yes, we also made films. What I’m sharing today is a small token of that collaboration. I miss John—and you should too. He was devoted to science, and his discoveries made life better for us all.

Help Us Take AMERICAN STORIES to the World at MIPCOM 2025. Your Contribution Can Change Global Perceptions At a time when America's image abroad is increasingly defined by headlines of division and discord, we have an unprecedented opportunity to share a different story—one that showcases the rich tapestry of American creativity, resilience, and cultural contribution. With the support of the Documentary Film Fund, the Heritage Film Project is preparing to take this story to the world stage at MIPCOM 2025, the premier international television and entertainment content market in Cannes this October. This is how the world perceives America... but there's so much more to our story. The Challenge We Face While other nations have long understood the power of cultural diplomacy—Germany through the Goethe Institute, Italy via the Dante Alighieri Society, France through the Alliance Française, and Spain with the Instituto Cervantes—America has largely left this crucial work to Hollywood. While Hollywood's entertainment machine has undeniable global reach, it operates primarily on market-driven principles rather than cultural representation. Film serves as "a strong tool in American soft power" with the ability to influence through "attraction rather than through coercion," yet our current media landscape often emphasizes spectacle over substance. Beyond the explosions and spectacle, authentic American voices are waiting to be heard. For twenty years, the Heritage Film Project has been documenting the extraordinary voices of American artists—voices that remain largely unknown not just internationally, but often within our own borders. We've captured the stories of composer Alice Parker, whose work on choral arrangements has touched millions; poet laureate Rita Dove, whose verse speaks to the African American experience with unprecedented eloquence; Cuban-American artist Humberto Calzada, whose paintings bridge cultures; and the remarkable legacy of the Piccirilli brothers, whose sculptural works grace monuments across America. This little light of mine… let it shine, let it shine! The Global Marketplace Awaits MIPCOM 2025 will bring together international television and streaming media executives and creators from over 100 countries at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from October 13-16, 2025. This represents one of the most significant opportunities to reach global audiences with authentic American narratives. MIPCOM 2025 will bring together television and streaming media executives from over 100 countries Soft power diplomacy refers to the ability to influence other nations through persuasion and attraction rather than through coercion or force. Our documentaries embody this principle perfectly—they don't lecture or propagandize, but instead invite viewers into intimate conversations with remarkable Americans whose stories transcend borders. Imagine the Impact Picture a family in Baghdad discovering Alice Parker's insights into the transcendent power of community singing, offering a profound alternative to the uniformed Americans they typically see on their screens. Envision teenagers in a community center outside Lagos, Nigeria, learning from Rita Dove about the complex beauty of the African diaspora experience in America. Consider educators in rural schools across Southeast Asia using our documentary on Daniel Chester French to teach about American artistic heritage and the sculptural traditions that shaped our national monuments. We want to share the America of Rita Dove, and countless other inspiring voices. The art of Joy Brown has already captivated audiences around the Globe These are not far-fetched dreams—they represent the very real potential of cultural exchange through documentary storytelling. Our recent film on Joy Brown demonstrates how individual American stories can contribute to global healing and understanding in ways that transcend traditional diplomatic channels. Why Now, Why MIPCOM The timing is critical. MIPCOM serves as a marketplace where representatives of television studios and broadcasters buy and sell programmes for international distribution, making it the ideal venue to introduce our authentic American voices to global audiences. We're not just hoping to sell content—we're working to reshape international perceptions of American culture through the power of documentary storytelling. The world is hungry for content that enlightens as well as entertains. Educational television buyers from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East are actively seeking programming that offers depth, cultural insight, and authentic human stories. Our documentaries provide exactly what these markets need: compelling narratives that reveal the complexity and beauty of American creativity. The Mission Continues This is more than a business venture—it's a cultural mission with profound implications for how America is perceived and understood globally. We have the content, the expertise, and the relationships necessary to succeed. What we need now is the financial support to make this vision a reality. How You Can Help The Documentary Film Fund enables us to cover the essential costs of attending MIPCOM 2025: travel, accommodation, market registration, screening fees, and promotional materials. Every dollar contributed directly supports our mission to bring authentic American voices to international audiences. Your support will help us: Secure prime screening opportunities at MIPCOM Produce high-quality promotional materials for international buyers Cover essential travel and accommodation costs Fund follow-up distribution efforts with interested broadcasters Develop new partnerships with global educational networks SUPPORT THE DOCUMENTARY FILM FUND Your Contribution Can Change Global Perceptions The opportunity to reshape global perceptions of American culture is within our grasp. We invite you to join us in this crucial mission by supporting the Documentary Film Fund. Take Action Today To contribute by mail, please send your check to: Documentary Film Fund 118 Oakhurst Circle Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 For digital payment options, please follow the LINK or click on the red button above Together, we can ensure that the world sees America not just through the lens of entertainment spectacle or news headlines, but through the authentic voices of our most creative and inspiring citizens. The time to act is now. The global stage awaits. With gratitude and determination, Eduardo Montes-Bradley Documentary Film Fund

Heritage Film Project to Attend MIPCOM 2025 in October We’re thrilled to share some exciting news: Heritage Film Project will be attending MIPCOM 2025 , the world’s leading event in the global broadcast and television industry, held this October in Cannes, France. Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes This opportunity—to showcase our documentaries on an international stage—would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our friends, patrons, and philanthropic partners. We are especially grateful to The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund , and The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation , whose early and steadfast belief in our mission made it possible to tell powerful stories of American art, identity, and history— free of charge to students and the public at academic and public libraries across the country . Now, thanks to your continued support, we’re ready to take the next step: bringing these uniquely American stories to audiences around the world. Bringing American Voices to Cannes: At MIPCOM, we’ve already scheduled meetings with potential partners from Asia, Europe, and Africa who are eager to share the personal and creative journeys of some of the remarkable individuals we’ve documented—figures like legendary choral composer Alice Parker , The Other Madisons author Bettye Kearse , and renowned sculptor Joy Brown . Our films also explore the lives of Virginia painter John Borden Evans , American sculptor Daniel Chester French , Attilio Piccirilli —master carver of the Lincoln Memorial—19th-century composer George Bristow , and Louis Comfort Tiffany , whose luminous creations helped define American decorative arts at the turn of the 20th century. These and many others help illuminate the diverse and often overlooked fabric of the American experience. We’re proud to represent in Cannes, a production model built on philanthropic collaboration and a commitment to making these stories freely available to students and the public through academic and public libraries. We look forward to sharing updates from Cannes, including reflections on our meetings and exciting news about emerging international collaborations. For those who wish to stay connected, our mailing list and Instagram offer a window into the journey ahead. We invite you to follow along—and to be part of the unfolding story.

Cortázar Without a Beard: A Partial Biography A Review of the Book by Eduardo Montes-Bradley Originally by Joaquin Marco, Barcelona, October 23, 2014. “Written with intelligent humor, a fine style, a clear structure, brisk narration, and full of details, it breaks some molds of the genre—not only in what it reveals about the young Cortázar and his family, but also through Eduardo Montes-Bradley’s informal, demystifying, and warm tone.” The tone is clear from the very first lines: Eduardo Montes-Bradley introduces himself, situates the book, and makes his position as biographer explicit. It’s an unexpected opening, even disarming—almost conversational in nature. Yet this tone not only persists throughout but becomes a virtue. This incomplete biography achieves what it sets out to do: it presents a portrait of Cortázar during the early part of his life, up until his first return to Europe. It also explores the lives of his ancestors. Montes-Bradley brings Cortázar down from his pedestal—not to diminish him, but to humanize him. He does so with respectful irreverence, something that, judging by his letters and interviews, Cortázar himself might have appreciated. “Biographies like this are rarely written anymore… Biographers like Richard Ellmann are gone, and no foundations empty their piggy banks to finance studies like this one.” Instead of offering a quick, digestible, and superficial overview like so many mini-biographies do, Cortázar sin barba explores nuances. Montes-Bradley goes beyond the myth to uncover the man behind the literary figure. He highlights his physical appearance, his obsessions, his reading preferences, and his character traits. He examines Cortázar’s upbringing, focusing in particular on the absence of the father figure and the overwhelming presence of his mother—an influence that persisted well into adulthood. All of this is done with a tone that borders on the psychological, though never clinical. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the book is its refusal to conform to the conventional form of literary biography. This is not a dense academic tome nor a sensationalist retelling. Instead, it blends meticulous research with a personal voice and a touch of humor—elements that make the work both enjoyable and enlightening.

Watch as many films as you want from our Kanopy Collection Discover the World of Documentaries The Documentary Film Fund invites you to explore a specially curated selection of documentary films. These films are now available for free streaming with your public library card or university login at Kanopy.com . You can watch at your own pace. Whether you choose to enjoy one film or multiple films in one sitting, there’s something for everyone. These compelling stories of resilience, creativity, and historical reckoning unfold from Brazil to Virginia and Buenos Aires to the Bronx. The opportunity to watch these films is made possible by generous support from cultural institutions and individuals like you. These films serve as an invitation—to reflect, connect, and share in the narratives that continue to shape our communities. Share With Friends the Gift of Documentaries Feel free to share this invitation with friends and colleagues who may have a similar interest in documentaries. If you’d like to discuss the films, I’ll be making myself available this summer. I encourage you to send your questions or reflections about these stories and the people behind them. Let the conversation begin! — Eduardo Montes-Bradley Login now with your public library card or university login at Kanopy.com Engaging Documentary Topics Documentaries cover a wide range of topics, showcasing various cultures, important historical events, and social issues. By watching these films, you can gain insights into different perspectives and stories. Each film allows you to step into someone else's shoes—even if just for a moment. A Conversation Starter These documentaries can act as conversation starters. Discussing the topics and themes presented can strengthen your relationships with friends and colleagues. Sharing your thoughts and insights can lead to engaging conversations and open up new perspectives. Discovering these powerful stories together can be an enriching experience. Film Recommendations from Kanopy Consider watching some of these featured documentaries: “Rita Dove” - A profile of the renowned poet and her work. “Evita” - A deep dive into the life of Eva Perón, the iconic Argentine leader. “Black Fiddlers” - Exploring the history and influence of black musicians. “The Other Madisons” - A documentary that re-examines Thomas Jefferson's legacy. These films are just a small sample of what the Kanopy platform offers. Each one presents a unique perspective on societal issues, individual stories, and historical events. ACCESS THE FILMS NOW!

How America’s ideological refugees have found sanctuary in Russia across nearly a century—first fleeing conservatism, now fleeing progressivism East and West, the ongoing romance In the summer of 2024, the Hare family from Canada made headlines when Russia granted them temporary refugee status. Their story seemed almost surreal: North Americans fleeing to Putin’s Russia, citing persecution for their conservative Christian values. But this narrative of Americans seeking sanctuary in Russia isn’t new—it’s simply the latest chapter in a nearly century-long pattern of ideological migration between these two nations. What makes this moment so fascinating isn’t just that Americans are moving to Russia, but that they’re doing so for precisely the opposite reasons their predecessors did in the 1930s and 1940s. Where once African American workers and leftist intellectuals fled to the Soviet Union seeking progressive ideals, today’s migrants are evangelical families and conservative traditionalists fleeing what they perceive as America’s progressive overreach. The First Wave: Seeking the Promise of Equality The 1930s marked the beginning of a remarkable migration of African Americans to the Soviet Union. Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, Claude McKay, and other prominent Black intellectuals and artists traveled to what they hoped would be a “raceless” society. But it wasn’t just the famous who made this journey. Ordinary workers like Robert Robinson, a skilled engineer and the only person of color among Ford’s recruits when the company sold assembly lines to the USSR, represented hundreds of African Americans who saw the Soviet Union as an escape from Jim Crow America. An extraordinary account of a unique experience A perfect complement to the previous mentioned book by Robinson The appeal was obvious: while America enforced racial segregation and economic inequality, the Soviet Union marketed itself as a workers’ paradise free from capitalist exploitation and racial prejudice. For Black Americans facing lynching, disenfranchisement, and systematic exclusion from economic opportunity, Stalin’s Russia offered something their own country denied them—the promise of dignity and equality. The Communist Party USA actively recruited African Americans, promoting the Soviet Union as a beacon of racial progress. Soviet propaganda featured Black Americans prominently, showcasing them as proof of socialism’s superiority over capitalist racism. The message was clear: America had failed its Black citizens, but the Soviet Union welcomed them with open arms. The Historical Irony The cruel irony, of course, was that many of these migrants discovered that Soviet reality rarely matched Soviet promise. The raceless society they sought often proved to be another form of inequality, with different but equally oppressive systems of control. Some, like Robert Robinson, found themselves trapped for decades, unable to leave even when they wanted to return home. Yet their migration represented something profound about American society: the persistent gap between American ideals and American reality. These were Americans who believed so deeply in the principles of equality and justice that they were willing to abandon their homeland when it failed to live up to those principles. The Contemporary Reversal Fast-forward to 2024, and we see a mirror image of this migration pattern. Conservative American families are now fleeing to Russia, but this time they’re running from what they perceive as America’s excessive progressivism rather than its conservatism. Vladimir Putin has skillfully positioned Russia as a sanctuary for “traditional values,” signing decrees that allow foreign citizens to apply for temporary residency if they share “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.” The Hare family’s story exemplifies this new wave. They claim persecution for their conservative Christian beliefs, citing concerns about LGBTQ+ rights, vaccination mandates, and progressive education policies. Where their 1930s predecessors fled American conservatism for Soviet progressivism, today’s migrants flee American progressivism for Russian conservatism. This reversal reveals Putin’s geopolitical genius. Where Stalin marketed the Soviet Union as progressive and egalitarian, Putin markets Russia as traditional and spiritually pure. Both leaders understood that America’s internal tensions create opportunities for rival powers to position themselves as havens for disaffected Americans. The Persistent American Paradox What remains constant across both waves is the underlying American paradox: the country’s inability to reconcile its competing visions of itself. The 1930s migrants fled an America that failed to live up to its egalitarian promises. Today’s migrants flee an America that they believe has abandoned its traditional foundations. Both groups represent Americans who became so disillusioned with their country’s direction that they were willing to project their ideals onto foreign lands rather than work to realize them at home. This pattern suggests something deeper about American political culture—its tendency toward extremes, its difficulty finding middle ground, and its citizens’ willingness to seek elsewhere what they cannot find domestically. The destinations may have swapped political poles, but the underlying dynamic remains the same: Americans fleeing to Russia when they perceive their homeland as fundamentally at odds with their values. The Broader Implications This historical parallel illuminates several troubling aspects of contemporary American politics. First, it reveals how foreign powers can exploit American internal divisions for their own strategic purposes. Putin’s embrace of conservative American refugees serves the same propaganda function that Stalin’s embrace of African American migrants once did—it allows a rival power to position itself as more aligned with American values than America itself. Second, it highlights the extent to which American political discourse has become polarized. When citizens feel compelled to seek refuge in authoritarian states rather than engage in democratic processes at home, it suggests a breakdown in the social contract that binds diverse populations together. Finally, it raises questions about the sustainability of American democracy when significant portions of the population view their fellow citizens as existential threats rather than fellow Americans with different perspectives. A Nation in Search of Itself The irony of Americans fleeing to Russia—first as progressives, now as conservatives—reveals a nation perpetually in search of its authentic self. Both waves of migration represent Americans who believed so deeply in their vision of what America should be that they were willing to abandon it when it failed to match that vision. Perhaps the real lesson isn’t about Russia at all, but about America’s ongoing struggle to live up to its own ideals while remaining true to its diverse population. The fact that Americans continue to seek elsewhere what they cannot find at home suggests that the American experiment in democratic pluralism remains very much a work in progress. The great American exodus to Russia—in both directions—serves as a mirror reflecting our nation’s deepest tensions and unresolved contradictions. Until America can reconcile its competing visions of itself, its citizens will continue to seek refuge in foreign lands that promise to deliver what their homeland cannot or will not provide. The question isn’t whether America will continue to produce ideological refugees, but whether it will ever develop the capacity to welcome them home.

George Frederick Bristow was born in Brooklyn in 1825, the first of his family to enter the world as a citizen of the United States. His birth marked a turning point not only for the Bristows, who had only recently arrived from England, but for the burgeoning cultural fabric of Brooklyn Village itself—then still a patchwork of cobbled streets, clapboard houses, and ambitious dreams. Francis Guy's “Winter Scene in Brooklyn” (1819-1820) Notes for a documentary film on George F. Bristow The Bristows had not come in pursuit of riches but perhaps something far more elusive: opportunity. His grandfather, Thomas Bristow, a laborer by trade, appears in the Brooklyn directory of 1822 as one of the neighborhood’s working-class settlers. At his side stood William Richard Bristow, Thomas’s son and George’s father, a musician whose presence is already noted in a local Fourth of July concert as early as 1823, listed simply as “Leader of the band, Mr. Bristow.” By then, Brooklyn was stirring with civic pride, celebrating not only Independence Day but its own identity, newly affirmed by a municipal charter. In the beginning: Brooklyn William Bristow’s decision to transplant his family across the Atlantic may have been rooted in economic uncertainty or familial connection—records hint at ties with the Vernon family, fellow Sussex emigrants who had already found footing in New York. Whatever the motivation, the move reflected the rhythms of change then sweeping across both sides of the ocean. England’s industrial revolution was displacing thousands, while America’s packet ships brought ever-growing waves of immigrants to its ports. For the Bristows, music offered a path forward in the new world. . A view of Brooklyn Heights circa 1852 In Brooklyn Village, cultural life was still in its infancy. Yet military bands played in gardens like Duflon’s, the few sites then available for public musical events. Theaters were sparse, but community gatherings were plentiful, and even in the modest dwellings near Main Street, sounds of fiddles and fifes, hymns and marches, filled the air. It was here, amid the wooden piers and shipyards, in a town just learning how to define itself, that George was born. Though still a child, George’s formative environment was steeped in the civic virtues of industriousness, music, and the makeshift elegance of immigrant determination. His father’s dual role as laborer and artist—a man who led Fourth of July festivities by day and returned to modest quarters by night—left an indelible impression. Brooklyn, with its expanding schools and growing pride in education and public service, would give George access to both a structured musical education and an evolving democratic idealism that would later echo in his symphonies and patriotic compositions. His story was not just about talent, but timing. To be born in Brooklyn in 1825, into a family recently unmoored from English soil and re-rooted in a hopeful republic, was to come of age with the city itself. Bristow’s career would later be celebrated for its American voice. But that voice, clear and resonant, was first tuned on the streets of a small, striving borough—by a boy whose lullabies were the echoes of a father’s marching band, and whose destiny would harmonize with the country’s own maturing sound. Footnote This post draws from two principal sources: Brooklyn Village by Ralph Foster Weld (Columbia University Press, 1938), especially Chapters I and III, which provide a detailed portrait of civic, legal, and cultural life in early 19th-century Brooklyn. Carol Gohari’s unpublished manuscript, William Richard Bristow, American Musician (Chapter 2: “Brooklyn Village,” 1990), which documents the Bristow family’s emigration from England and their settlement in Brooklyn circa 1822. Katherine Preston's biographical research on George Frederick Bristow

A Journey Through Memory, Architecture, and the Paintings of Humberto Calzada In 2009, I created a film about Cuban-American painter Humberto Calzada. What emerged was more than a biographical portrait—it became a meditation on exile, memory, and the quiet power of art to reclaim what was lost. The film is now available on Kanopy Streaming. See link below. Agramonte St. and Gloria St, Havana, Cuba. Acrylic on canvas, 2022 Havana in Exile Humberto Calzada was born in Havana in 1944. He left Cuba as a young man and became an artist in exile, drawing not from nostalgia, but from a fierce commitment to remembering Havana as it once was—before the Revolution interrupted its rhythm and architecture. Calzada’s early years were shaped by an obsession with reflections: “I became very conscious of light and shadow,” he said in our conversation. “Maybe that’s the reason when I started painting.” Calzada de Luyano and Calle Ensenada. Acrylic on canvas, 2022 Building Havana, Brick by Brush His paintings recall stained glass, colonial porticoes, and the distinctive textures of old Havana homes—especially the one that belonged to his grandmother. He doesn’t simply illustrate buildings. He rebuilds them from memory, guided by color and intuition. “I’m trying to keep the spirit of what I remember Havana was like,” he told me. That spirit lives in every oil wash, in every carefully traced cornice. His brush resists decay. The Ruins and the Return When Calzada returned to Havana after 48 years, he found the city in ruins. Rather than turn away, he began photographing the devastation. Those images became the basis of a new project: deconstructing photographs and reimagining them as the Havana of his memory. Theatrical Premier Critical Reference following the premiere This work is deeply personal. “We’ll never be able to go back to that Cuba,” he said. “It will always exist in our minds, in our thoughts, in our heart—but it will never come back.” Memory as Architecture Calzada’s work lives in the space between grief and gratitude. His paintings are not about returning—they’re about carrying a place forward in time. His Havana may be imagined, but it is more vivid than the one tourists might see today. As an artist and exile, he affirms a Cuban identity unshackled from political narrative. His work preserves cultural memory as if it were marble, or better—glass that catches the light. Watch the Film Calzada: Reconstructing Havana is available on Kanopy and other educational streaming platforms.

We are proud to see 18 of our films streaming on Kanopy , a platform that brings thoughtful, independent storytelling to public and academic libraries across the U.S. and beyond. These titles—now available to students, educators, and the general public—represent over two decades of documentary work exploring history, music, race, art, exile, resistance, and identity. From the rhythms of Black Fiddlers and Samba On Your Feet to the intimate portraits in Alice Parker and Rita Dove , each film is a window into lives that shaped—and continue to shape—our cultural landscape. These films are free to watch with your library card through Kanopy.com Why It Matters: Our mission has always been to create films that educate, engage, and endure. Partnering with library systems helps ensure that these stories reach classrooms, communities, and curious minds far beyond traditional theatrical release. Please share with educators, librarians, and film lovers in your circles. These stories are meant to spark dialogue—and we invite you to join the conversation.