The documentary feature Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara: We Are Connected by Cuban filmmaker Ernesto Fundora Hernández, will premiere on CiberCuba on May 20th. This biographical production explores the life, activism, and work of the Cuban artist and dissident who has become a symbol of resistance against the regime.
The documentary, filmed between Cuba and Mexico, depicts the rise of the San Isidro Movement, a cultural and civic platform founded by Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and other independent artists, which gained international recognition for its open challenge to censorship and state repression on the Island.
The film reconstructs key moments in the activist's journey, including his prominent role during the popular protests of July 11, 2021, when he used social media and live broadcasts to urge citizen mobilization within Cuba.
In his online streams, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara would often sign off with the phrase "We are connected," a slogan that encapsulated his call for unity, solidarity, and hope among Cubans, even amidst the repression and divisions fostered by the regime; and it is precisely this phrase that titles this audiovisual.
With a duration of one hour and 30 minutes and produced in Full HD format, the documentary combines archival material from the San Isidro Movement with interviews, previously unseen images, and testimonies from figures close to the artist.
The direction, screenplay, and production were handled by Ernesto Fundora Hernández, while the cinematography was carried out by Carmelo Raneri and Fundora himself. Editing and post-production were managed by Josafat Hernández.
Among the protagonists are Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Yanelys Núñez, Amaury Pacheco, and Iris Ruiz, all connected to the artistic and dissenting movement that emerged in the San Isidro neighborhood of Havana.
The soundtrack includes music by Omar Sosa, Armando Gola, César López, Berna Jam, La Crema, and rappers linked to the cultural environment of the movement.
The post-production and final edit of the documentary were carried out in Mexico City in November 2025 under the label Video Vueltas Producciones SA de CV.
The film also addresses the international impact achieved by Otero Alcántara, who was recognized by TIME magazine among the most influential people in the world and awarded by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Freedom House.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was sentenced in June 2022 to five years in prison by the Cuban regime on the alleged charges of "outrage to national symbols, contempt, and public disorder." He is currently still incarcerated in the maximum-security prison in Guanajay, Artemisa.
International human rights organizations, activists, and cultural figures have repeatedly denounced that their judicial process was marked by political motivations and violations of fundamental guarantees.
Alcántara is considered one of the most visible faces of the Cuban artistic dissent, and his case has become a symbol of the repression against freedom of expression and independent activism on the Island.
Filed under: