Cubao es de ellas / Cubao is Theirs

The film is the result of research by Natalia Ruiz Cuartas, a PhD student at the University of Guelph. Cubao es de Ellas follows four farmers who took part in the Local Agricultural Innovation Programme (PIAL) and chronicles the personal transformation they experienced as they shifted toward more sustainable agricultural practices. Through this process, they became beacons of agroecology and came to recognise their own value as women within their families and communities. Knowledge that had previously been ignored proved pivotal in transforming their farms into more productive, sustainable, and just places.

Empowered by the shift in how they relate to the land, the territory, and their communities, these women took brave initiatives – from artisan goat cheese to agrotourism – despite the many challenges of life on the island of Cuba. Their stories reveal how a change in agricultural practice can challenge patriarchal structures and open up more cooperative, horizontal, and sustainable ways of building community.

By sharing these stories, this event hopes to inspire other women, encourage other farmers, and open up a wider conversation about food sovereignty, food security, and the many possible futures of food production.

Following the screening, join Natalia Ruiz (film producer and researcher), Carlos Cardona (director of Cubao is Theirs and artist) and a member of Interbrigadas e.V.  for a discussion about women's participation in agriculture, the possibilities of transitioning to sustainable practices, and the role of gender equity at the heart of that transition. This event is open to all, but we would particularly like to invite farmers, urban farmers, feminists, scholars, and members of the Latin American diaspora, especially those from the Global South, to join us this evening.