My Contribution, Sarah Gomez
By Charlotte Stace
La Virreina presents the exhibition, My Contribution, the first comprehensive museum retrospective dedicated to Afro-Cuban filmmaker Sara Gómez (1942–1974). A pioneering voice in 1960s and 70s Cuban documentary cinema, Gómez is celebrated for her "anti-ethnographic" approach; films that foreground the lived experiences of marginalised communities, especially women and Afro-Cubans, within the context of post-revolutionary Cuba. Her work offers a unique lens on the contradictions and complexities of a society undergoing radical transformation.
Gómez’s filmography is deeply intertwined with the revolutionary ideals of 1959, yet her perspective was distinct: young, Black and female. Her seminal film Mi aporte... (1972) examines the roles and ideologies of Cuban women across different social classes, challenging prevailing machismo. Other notable works include Guanabacoa, crónica de mi familia (1966), De bateyes (1971), and De cierta manera (1974).
This exhibition not only showcases Gómez’s films, but also contextualises her contributions within broader discussions of race, gender and class.