“I Am Arbesu,” a film by Christiane Arbesu, chronicles the filmmaker’s journey to Cuba to discover family after being separated by politics and geography for 55 years.
The documentary, which is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, focuses on the love of a family that is stronger than generations of border restrictions. It’s a story about Arbesu discovering her land, her heritage, and reuniting with family.
“My father was the first ambassador of Cuba to Indonesia,” said Arbesu, who now resides in Hampton Bays where she has lived for 18 years. Her family left Cuba in 1962 to escape communism, seeking political asylum in Canada. “My dad and my mom realized the country wasn’t going in the direction that they had hoped.”
The former diplomat, his wife and three young daughters defected, heading to Montreal while leaving behind parents, siblings, and cousins. Arbesu was born six months later in Canada.
When President Barack Obama opened up relations with Cuba in 2016, “I jumped at the opportunity,” she said.
The film, shot in true cinéma-vérité style, portrays a genuine love of family. From Arbesu’s meeting in the airport to her travels to meet both sides of her family in Havana, where her father and sisters were born, and her mother’s birthplace of Camagüey.
A film screening of “I Am Arbesu” will be held on Tuesday, July 5, at 6 PM at Southampton Cultural Center. Tickets are $10.