Carnaval Film Festival: Lazaro and the Shark: Cuba under the Surface
Join us on ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ญ๐ฎ at ๐ฎ๐ญ.๐ฏ๐ฌ in ๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ธ๐๐ฒ๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ for the ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด of ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ: ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ on the second day of the ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น! With the short films ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ (2017, 5′, Grenada) and ๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด (2023, 7′, Bahamas).
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ: ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ: ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Time: 21:30 hrs
Venue: Melkweg Cinema
Title: ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ: ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
Director: William Sabourin O’Reilly
Country: Cubaย 
ย and United Statesย 
Year: 2022
Length: 76′
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: English
Extra: The short films ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ (2017, 5′, Grenada) and ๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด (2023, 7′, Bahamas)
Tickets:ย https://bit.ly/carnaval-film-festival-2025-lazaro-and-the…ย (soon available)
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ: ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
In Santiago de Cuba, rival conga bands scour the sparse marketplace for materials to create show-stopping numbers for the annual Carnival competition. In this film, documentary maker William Sabourin O’Reilly, an Afro-Cuban native to Havana who hasn’t lived in his home country for 17 years (he is now based in New Orleans), follows Lรกzaro, the leader of the Conga de Los Hoyos, who is determined to beat ‘the Shark’, his older and more establishment-favored competitor. Tensions build and tempers flare as the government restrictions and scarcity of present-day Cuba come to bear on one of the worldโs poorest Carnivals. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ offers us a rare window into communist Cuba, a country that is often romanticized, and almost always portrayed through the eyes of an outsider.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด
The 2017 short film ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ, directed by Tom Harrad and Reuben Millns, that delves into the tradition of Grenadaโs Jโouvert festival. Set in the early hours before dawn, the film captures the fervent energy of thousands of Grenadians who gather to play Jab, an ancestral masquerade where participants cover themselves in black oil, don horns, and wield chains. This ritual is both a commemoration of emancipation and a powerful act of cultural defiance. Through its evocative cinematography and soundscape, ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ offers a compelling glimpse into a living cultural heritage that continues to evolve while honoring its roots in resistance and remembrance.
๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป a short film co-directed by Jonathan Isaac Jackson and Philip Williamson about Junkanoo, one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated and spirited carnivals. Being practiced most notably in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, and Florida, this documentary focuses on Bahamian Junkanoo, hosted over Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The largest Junkanoo celebration takes place on Bay Street, in downtown Nassau, but Bahamians across the 16 islands celebrate this joyful tradition. From colourful costumes to exuberant dance routines, participants spend months preparing for the pageantry of this street parade accompanied by the steady beat of whistles, cowbells, horns, and goatskin drums that starts in the wee hours after midnight.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ
The ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ invites you to a vibrant ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ๐ celebrating and reflecting on the spirit of Carnaval worldwide. Held for the first time in Amsterdam from ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ญ๐ญ-๐๐ฏ, this unique ๐ฏ-๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น explores how Carnaval has inspired filmmakers around the world to tell stories of joy, resistance, community, and freedom. From the dazzling parades of ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ and ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป to the rhythmic expressions of ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, and the ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป and the Prince Carnaval traditions of the ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ and ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ด๐ถ๐๐บ, Carnaval is a global phenomenon, rooted in ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐. The inaugural ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น honors the complexity, creativity and resistance of these traditions, while asking urgent questions about culture, identity, and belonging in a changing world.
The ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ features ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป-๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ at ๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ธ๐๐ฒ๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ and @๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ in ๐๐บ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ in the weekend of ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ญ๐ญ-๐ญ๐ฏ, as well as an extensive ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ with ๐ฑ๐ฌ+ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ on Carnaval available wordwide. From the opening night screenings of ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐๐, on ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ผ’๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น, and ๐ฃ๐๐ก! ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐, on ๐ง+๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น, often called ‘๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ต’, to documentaries and shorts on Carnaval from across the globe, particularly in the ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป (๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ, ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ผ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐), but also in ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ข๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐, ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ, ๐๐ฒ๐๐ and ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐, the ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น offers a cinematic journey into the heart of the roots and rhythms of Carnaval worldwide.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐
Caribbean Creativity is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that, since 2008, is committed to the programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema in the Netherlands. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted over 300 screenings in film theatres and at film festivals, including numerous premieres. In 2020, they hosted their first film festival, the Marley75 Film Festival, in Melkweg Cinema and various other venues across Amsterdam. That very same year, they launched YardVibes, a streaming platform featuring content from independent Caribbean and African filmmakers, where they offer over 100 titles and host online film programs, such as the annual Global Extraction Film Festival (2020-2022). The Carnaval Film Festival marks the second on-location film festival they are organizing. For more information, visitย www.caribbeancreativity.nl.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ
Africadelic is a non-profit organization that, since 2016, is committed to the programming and promotion of African and African diasporic cultural creativity, diversity and activism in the Netherlands. Each year on and around International Africa Day (May 25), they organize the Africacadelic Festival in Paradiso and various other partner venues across Amsterdam. This year, the 10th edition of the festival was held from May 21-31, 2025, with a special focus on the 50th anniversary of independence (1975) of five African countries (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Sรฃo Tomรฉ & Prรญncipe, and the Comoros) as well as Suriname. In addition, they are (co-)organizing one-off events throughout the year, including the inaugural Carnaval Film Festival. For more information, visitย www.africadelic.com.
