New protagonists of the Cuban Revolution: women in the Noticiero ICAIC Latinoamericano, 1960-1990

Abstract

This article studies women’s representation in the Noticiero ICAIC Latinoamericano, the Cuban Revolution’s newsreel, directed by Santiago Álvarez. It was shown every week between 1960 and 1990, covering aspects of international and national news. It became an important audiovisual tool to spread revolutionary ideas in Cuba. Thus, this article studies the Noticiero ICAIC referring to the concept of “political mediation”: it fulfilled a mediatory function, between Cuban leaders and the people, in the process of building a new society. In the concrete case of women, their representation centers around three protagonists, who also are three possible ways for them to participate in the revolutionary society: the worker, the sportswoman and the militianwoman. With these new feminine representations, the Noticiero ICAIC reflects and gives legitimacy to social and economic changes that can be observed in revolutionary Cuba, especially women’s participation in productive labor. It also contrasts with traditional representations of femininity, associated with the domestic sphere. This article studies these three feminine representations analyzing examples taken from the Noticiero ICAIC’s weekly editions, that can be short reports or editions enterely dedicated to women’s situations.