Revolution

The Cuban hip-hoppers Los Aldeanos have a name for their country's leader: "Pinocchio." They are afraid of nothing. "Rap is war," they sing, but what they really want is to be known as revolutionaries. Aldo and El B produce albums at a lighting speed that are immensely popular among Cuban youth. This music documentary is the debut film of Cuban director Mayckell Pedrero Mariol, and features a second generation of hip-hoppers in the socialist country. Its collage-like style is reminiscent of a music video, and we hear lots of Los Aldeanos's music along the way. Relaxing in the middle of a field, the men offer their vision of the country that is deprived of freedom. "I just want to say what I feel," says El B, but he can't even go to Venezuela for a rap-battle. And when the duo makes an appearance on a radio show, the host occasionally gives them a kick under the table. "Watch out, you're crossing the line here." According to experts, their underground music is a new movement in hip-hop that developed from the more American style of the first generation of Cuban hip-hoppers. At an awards ceremony, Aldo sticks his fist in the air. Could the revolution start in the hip-hop scene?