Initiated by artists from the San Isidro Movement, the July 2021 peaceful protests of Cubans on the streets chanting “Patria y Vida!” (Fatherland and Life!) and demanding Freedom demonstrate the Cubans’ longing for a shift in their political paradigm. This course will examine Cuban contemporary history since the early 1960s, focusing on how art has reflected the complexity of the country’s history, culture, and charged political situations. We will study the cultural policy established by Castro's regime in 1961 via his speech “Words to Intellectuals,” until the most recent Decree Law 349, enacted in 2018. We will also examine the development of the visual arts for six decades, along with events such as the Havana Biennial, and exhibitions of Cuban art in North America. We will watch classic films and reels by Santiago Alvarez, Sara Gómez, and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, and conclude with the impact of the San Isidro Movement in shaping a new Cuba.