We interviewed Moe Najati, director of the brilliant short documentary Uproar, in official selection at Sheffield Doc/Fest, along with his producers.
As part of our Sheffield Doc/Fest coverage, we highlighted Uproar in our Top 10 Short Documentaries from the festival. Uproar is a beautiful, inspiring music documentary on Rumba Morena, a one-of-a-kind all-women music band in the slums of Havana, in Cuba, where Rumba is traditionally played and performed by men only. Uproar features outstanding characters and performers, and explores the complex intersection of religion, music and gender dynamics of Rumba Morena – and the roots influencing the male resistance to it.
We were very lucky to interview Moe Najati who directed Uproar along with his producers Georgia Woolley and Matt Cooper from Villager Films.
Question to Moe Najati: What led you to tell the story of those brave, inspiring Cuban women fighting for their existence in the world of Rumba?
Moe Najati: It started around 2014 when Cuba was opening up to visitors. A photographer friend of ours visited on a project and his work inspired me to look into Cuba. I didn’t really know much about the country growing up but for the popular revolution figures like Castro and Guevara. I wanted to learn more about Cuba really and educate myself and obviously being a filmmaker, I couldn’t help but look for unique stories to possibly explore in the future. The Buena Vista Social Club was my starting point being a big fan of the music. I then came across Cuban Rumba which was very new to me back then and the rich history of the genre just fascinated me. It shared a lot of commonality with the history of Blues music. There wasn’t much I could find online on the Rumba scene in Havana but for a couple of news reports and a book or two. But I really felt that there is a very interesting story there. I reached out to Matt and Georgia at Villager films and told them about what I had in mind and they kindly agreed to back the idea. They sent us (co-producer Aaron Wagner and I) on a research and development trip. We went there looking into the Rumba scene in general and didn’t even know who Rumba Morena was yet. On the last day of that first research trip we stumbled upon Rumba Morena in a back alley, their music was not like anything we’ve heard in our two weeks of research. And their story, passion and dedication were even more inspiring! We knew we had to go back.
Question to Moe Najati: Music is often viewed as a powerful factor of unity, a bond, a bridge between people and cultures. In the film, you manage to show both the beauty, fervor and energy of music that brings people together and, at the same time, the fact that behind the scenes, what is at stake is women and minorities’ fight for their dignity and their rights. How did you tackle this duality in the making of Uproar?
Moe Najati : The storytelling in Uproar is the opposite of how I personally experienced making the film and learning about what is going on behind the curtain. Initially, all I first saw was the enthusiasm and beauty of these performances before I understood what was going on backstage. I think having the backstory unravel first gave the performances more depth as the viewer already knows some of what these women are facing. And seeing them play with such passion and commitment only makes you want them to succeed more.
Question to Moe Najati: The film consists of several beautiful portraits of musicians and people surrounding the world of Rumba, who share their views about the challenges that the Cuban Rumba scene is dealing with. How did you work on the composition of the interview shots which are so rich and tell so much about the people you filmed?
Moe Najati: My aim was to show each character surrounded by their environment especially after noticing how each apartment we’d visit had its very unique presence. I later learned that most of the characters have been living in their apartments since they were kids, so every detail, colour and decoration had a background story and meaning. I wanted that to be present in the interview frames as I felt their living environment was an extension of their character. I think Farinas’ wife lived in that house for over 60 years!
Question to Moe Najati: On a personal note, what did those women you interviewed and followed for the documentary inspire you? What have you brought back from Cuba, as a human being? But also as a filmmaker?
Moe Najati: It is always inspiring to witness somebody like Diunis unapologetically go after their dreams against all odds. It definitely resonated with me being a filmmaker. I think I became more aware of how lucky I am to be able to do what I do without constantly facing resistance and criticism from society. I sometimes try to imagine how it would feel to be told I can’t make films simply because I’m a man. I’ve also become (I hope) less materialistic after my experience making Uproar. When you spend time with people in Cuba, you realize how little regard they have to material possessions. Of course, life is hard there and it’s all about survival sometimes, but Cubans have gone through so much hardship that made them appreciate the little things in life and I try to practice that. Coming from a more commercial background I was a bit less compromising on the visual aspect of any project I worked on, so being in Cuba pushed me to become nimbler and more adaptive as a filmmaker. I did learn how to make the most out of what I have available visually. A little bit of Spanish and some awesome Vintage posters didn’t hurt either!
Question to Georgia Woolley and Matt Cooper (producers): As you got involved in Moe Najati’s project and worked on Uproar, what did you want to tell about the world we live in today? In other words, what, in this film, made you fight and work for making it and then bring it in front of audiences?
Matt Cooper (producer): Both Georgia and I could see what a profound effect meeting Diunis and her band Rumba Morena had on Moe. Her energy, talent and leadership was magnetic, and she was unafraid to address the uncomfortable truth about discrimination within her industry. But not only did we want to celebrate her character, alongside her incredible musicianship, but we found that the more we learned about her personal story, the more it shone a light on Cuban society and culture as a whole. We got the sense of a culture caught in the middle of a shift between old and new, with Rumba Morena balancing in the middle. Traditional religious practices and folkloric superstitions meant that Diunis and her bandmates were criticised for playing rumba but, with the country slowly opening up, Diunis was optimistic that these ‘old ways’ were changing. To us, this idea resonated. Whether it’s the barrios of Havana or corporate offices in London, seeing a powerful woman like Diunis on the frontline of change spoke to us, and we felt that audiences would be able to relate to this story of courage, talent and determination.
Question to Georgia Woolley and Matt Cooper (producers): Was it the first time you produced a documentary in Cuba? What were the specificities of shooting there?
Georgia Woolley (producer): It was the first time filming in Cuba for us, and it was a serious learning curve! As well as navigating the lack of accessible internet (at the time), we quickly learnt that scheduling and forward planning doesn’t quite work the same way there. We even found that most of our contributors were so relaxed that agreeing to meet at a specific time didn’t really work, meaning that Moe and the team would often spend many hot hours waiting for contributors to arrive before they could start filming. I think the trick is to try and embrace that pace of life, rather than fight it. However, we were lucky to have amazing local fixers who made life a little easier for the team. They would help us get access to the right places, translate, secure kit and travel and generally make sure that we weren’t paying ‘top tourist prices’ for things. Without this local knowledge, it could have proved to be a really tough shoot. Despite all the little difficulties, it was an incredible experience for the team and the Cubans were welcoming, accommodating and incredibly open to sharing their homes and their stories.
Question to Georgia Woolley and Matt Cooper (producers): Have you screened the film in Cuba already? If not, how do you think this film can inspire Cubans?
Georgia Woolley (producer): The current situation has made things a little tricky, but we are hoping to eventually do a screening in Havana. We’ve made some great friends there, and I think that the film is going to get a great response. Hopefully the film will add to the difficult conversation about gender that’s already underway, and Rumba Morena’s story can continue to inspire!
