Spearfishing in Eastern Cuba
In June 2024, 15 students from the University of Victoria’s Cuba Ethnographic Field School worked collaboratively with three free-diving spear fishermen from the town of Uvero, nestled at the base in the Sierra Maestra of Eastern Cuba. The divers lead the students though their processes of preparation and diving to inspire audio-visual ethnographic projects showcasing the community’s deep connection with the sea. The resulting series of short films offer an exploration of the divers’ relationships with the water and their passion for the art of spearfishing. (Any statement on the social/political/economic context or the community’s history of spearfishing here?)
En junio de 2024, 15 estudiantes de la Universidad de Victoria fueron a cuba con un programa de campo etnográfico para trabajar en colaboración con tres pescadores submarinos de la localidad de Uvero, que se encuentra en la base de la Sierra Maestra en el oriente cubano. Los buceadores guiaron los estudantes con sus procesos de preparación y buceo, inspirando proyectos etnográficos audiovisuales que demuestra la relacion profunda de la comunidad con el mar. La serie de cortometrajes que sigue ofrece una exploración de esta relación entre los buceadores y el mar, y su pasión por el arte de la pesca submarina.
The Blissful:
“El Chino,” as he is known in the community, is a physical education teacher for children with cognitive disabilities. He describes how the connection between his two careers manifests through his breath. “El Chino” trabaja en educación física para niños con discapacidad mental y describe cómo la relación entre su carrera y la pesca se manifiesta a través de su respiración.
The Sea is my Vice
Orlenis was afraid of the sea as a child, but through spearfishing his relationship to the water has grown into an uncontrollable passion. español
Picua
Pablo is an experienced elder who describes the dangers of spearfishing and the physical and mental control one must maintain to successfully brave the intensity of the sea. español
apulmon.ca 
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