I Am Cuba (1964) in Color — Starring Sergio Corrieri & Salvador Wood

I Am Cuba (1964) — Buy This Classic in Color

Buy I Am Cuba (1964) in color — Mikhail Kalatozov’s visually revolutionary epic that captures the spirit, beauty, and turmoil of pre-revolutionary Cuba through four interconnected stories. Originally titled Soy Cuba, this Soviet-Cuban co-production stars Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood, José Gallardo, and Luz María Collazo. A masterpiece of cinematography rediscovered decades after its release — available now as an instant, DRM-free digital download.

Plot Summary

I Am Cuba unfolds across four distinct yet thematically linked episodes that together create a sweeping portrait of Cuba on the brink of revolution. In the first story, the beautiful Maria (Luz María Collazo), known to American tourists as Betty, works in Havana’s nightclub district where wealthy foreigners exploit the city’s poverty. Jim (Jean Bouise), an American businessman, pursues her through the neon-lit streets, but what begins as a night of pleasure reveals the crushing desperation beneath Havana’s glamorous surface when Jim discovers where Maria truly lives — in a crumbling shantytown hidden behind the glittering hotels. The second episode follows Pedro (José Gallardo), an elderly sugarcane farmer who has worked the same land his entire life. When the plantation owner sells the farm to the United Fruit Company, Pedro learns he will be evicted from the only home he has ever known. In a final act of defiance, he sets fire to his beloved cane fields rather than surrender them to foreign corporations. The third story centers on Enrique (Raúl García), a university student in Havana who becomes radicalized by the violence of the Batista regime. Despite his desire for peaceful protest, he witnesses the brutal suppression of student demonstrations and is drawn inexorably toward armed resistance. His internal struggle between idealism and the necessity of violence forms the moral heart of the film. In the final episode, a peasant farmer named Alberto (Sergio Corrieri) lives peacefully in the Sierra Maestra mountains with his family until government bombers destroy his home. Forced to choose between passivity and resistance, Alberto joins the revolutionary guerrillas in the mountains, discovering that the fight for justice demands personal sacrifice. Kalatozov weaves these four stories into a powerful tapestry of exploitation and awakening, creating an intensely personal vision of a nation discovering its collective voice.

Cast & Crew

• Director: Mikhail Kalatozov
• Starring: Sergio Corrieri as Alberto, Salvador Wood, José Gallardo as Pedro, Raúl García as Enrique, Luz María Collazo as Maria/Betty, Jean Bouise as Jim, Alberto Morgan as Ángel
• Cinematography: Sergei Urusevsky
• Runtime: 141 minutes
• Year: 1964
• Rated: NR
• Country: Soviet Union / Cuba
• Genre: Drama

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This professionally colorized version of I Am Cuba transforms one of cinema’s most visually daring achievements into an entirely new sensory experience. Sergei Urusevsky’s legendary cinematography — with its impossibly fluid camera movements, extreme wide-angle compositions, and infrared film techniques — gains extraordinary new dimension through careful frame-by-frame colorization. The lush tropical greens of Cuba’s sugarcane fields contrast powerfully with the sun-bleached whites of Havana’s colonial architecture, while the turquoise Caribbean waters shimmer beneath cloudless skies in scenes that were always meant to evoke paradise. The colorized version reveals the golden warmth of candlelit interiors, the deep crimson of revolutionary banners, and the rich earth tones of the Sierra Maestra mountains where the guerrillas make their stand. Havana’s nightlife sequences pulse with neon colour — pinks, purples, and electric blues that capture the city’s seductive yet exploitative atmosphere. The restored color palette brings startling clarity to the contrast between wealth and poverty that drives every episode. Details lost in the original black and white photography, such as the vivid tropical flowers, the dusty bronze skin of the cane workers, and the lush vegetation of the Cuban countryside, now contribute powerfully to Kalatozov’s passionate vision. This colorized version of the classic movie delivers a visual experience that honors the original while revealing the breathtaking beauty of a nation caught between oppression and liberation.

Historical Significance

I Am Cuba was produced as a joint venture between the Soviet Union and Cuba in 1964, directed by the Georgian filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov with cinematography by the legendary Sergei Urusevsky. Despite its extraordinary visual innovations, the film was rejected by both Soviet and Cuban authorities upon release — the Soviets found it too artistic, and the Cubans felt it did not accurately represent their revolution. The classic film disappeared into obscurity for nearly three decades until American filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola championed its rediscovery in the early 1990s. Its influence on modern cinema is immeasurable, with its pioneering long-take sequences and gravity-defying camera movements inspiring generations of directors. Today it is recognized as one of the greatest achievements in the history of cinematography.

Technical Details

• Original Format: Black and White (1964)
• Colorized: Professional frame-by-frame HD colorization and restoration
• Resolution: HD 720p
• File Format: MP4 / MKV
• Running Time: 141 minutes
• Language: Spanish / Russian with English subtitles
• Delivery: Instant download link on-screen and sent to your email upon purchase
• Price: €15.00
• License: Personal, non-commercial use

Also known as Soy Cuba в цвете (Russian).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why was I Am Cuba forgotten for so long?
When the film was completed in 1964, neither the Soviet nor the Cuban government was satisfied with Kalatozov’s artistic vision. It was shelved and virtually unseen for nearly thirty years until Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola discovered it and helped arrange screenings and a theatrical re-release in the 1990s, bringing it to international attention for the first time.

What makes the cinematography of I Am Cuba so special?
Cinematographer Sergei Urusevsky used revolutionary techniques including handheld infrared film stock, extreme wide-angle lenses, and astonishingly complex single-take sequences. One famous shot follows a funeral procession through the streets of Havana, travels up the side of a building, and floats across rooftops — all without a single cut. These innovations were decades ahead of their time.

Is Soy Cuba based on real events?
While the four stories are fictional, they are rooted in the real social and political conditions of pre-revolutionary Cuba under the Batista dictatorship. The exploitation by foreign corporations, the student protests, and the peasant uprisings depicted in the film reflect documented historical realities of the 1950s.

Who plays the lead roles?
The film features an ensemble cast of Cuban and international actors. Sergio Corrieri stars as Alberto, the peasant farmer who joins the revolution, while Luz María Collazo plays Maria/Betty, the nightclub worker. José Gallardo portrays Pedro, the sugarcane farmer, and Raúl García plays the student revolutionary Enrique.

Is this the original film with added color?
Yes, this is the complete, uncut original 1964 film that has been restored and enhanced with professional colorization technology. Every scene and all original dialogue are preserved exactly as intended, with subtitles included.

What devices can I watch this on?
You can watch this colorized version on any device that plays MP4 or MKV files, including computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, and media players like Roku or Apple TV.

Is the download DRM-free?
Absolutely. Your purchase is completely DRM-free, meaning you own the file outright with no restrictions on how many times you watch it or on which devices you play it.

How and when will I receive my download?
You will receive your download link instantly on-screen after purchase, and a backup link will also be sent to your email address. No waiting period — you can start watching immediately.

How much does it cost to buy this colorized classic?
The price for this restored and professionally colorized edition is €15.00 — a one-time payment for a permanent, DRM-free download you can watch anytime.

This restored and professionally colorized edition of I Am Cuba brings Mikhail Kalatozov’s rediscovered masterpiece to life in colour for a new generation of classic movie fans. Watch this timeless classic film and experience the colorization that reveals the stunning tropical beauty hidden beneath the shadows of revolution.

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