_________SYNOPSIS
Havana, March 2016, in a shared collective taxi:
Carlos, a random passenger is concerned: "Everyday more and more of your people are in the streets!"
- "How do you call someone who is neither woman nor man?" His wife Rosa is clueless too: "Transvestite, Transsexual, transgender, queer, non binary, pan gender, third sex?!"
- "I am! That's all! No theory! No sciences! No discourses! No label! Case closed!" responds Reinier and keeps painting his red lips.
- "Oye, tremendo arroz con mango!"* replies Carlos, "where this supposed to end? What the hell are you?"
- "The new man!"** Reinier laughs loud while he is fixing his wig: "Viva la revolución, compañeros!" he replies, jumps out of the car and gets lost in the crowd...
- The series ARROZ CON MANGO–THE NEW MEN portrays Cubans without labels in their everyday life.
(NOTES
* The Cuban slang “rice with mango†is a typical expression for a sticky situation, something scandalous or a big mess
** Ambiguous allusion to the central aim of the socialist revolution: The creation of THE NEW MEN)
_________BACKGROUD / CONTEXT of the serie
The personal and social dealing with gender and sexuality are key-indicators for the status quo of a society, its progress and its openness. Although people from the LGBT-community are no longer send into reeducation camps like years ago, but they are still suffering discrimination. The emerging community ensures different opinions: Mariela Castro, daughter of the Cuban President Raul Castro, is a vigorous advocate for LGBT-rights. Since then each day more and more people have the courage to confess themselves and take their place in society. But many citizens are still feeling caution or hostility.
_________KEYFACTS
long term project since deciember 2016 / La Habana / the series emergred of the series WAITING FOR THE CANDYMEN