As I See Cuba (Como Veo Cuba)

Trongate 103, Glasgow G1 5HD
2nd November - 30th November 2019
Part of Havana Glasgow Film Festival

In November, Cuba will celebrate the 500th anniversary of its capital city Havana. Twinned with Glasgow in 2002, this city will be the focus of a unique photography exhibition, part of Havana Glasgow Film Festival (HGFF), by two distinguished photographers: Roberto Chile from Havana and Dougie Souness from Glasgow.

The exhibition represents the personal viewpoints of the island from both photographers, although the resulting whole is a compelling and cohesive vision – the result of close collaboration from afar. At the end of the exhibition in Glasgow, the collection will be shipped to a gallery in Havana to be shown there as part of British Week, where HGFF is curating a series of films and events to showcase Scotland in Cuba.

Roberto Chile was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1954. A Documentarist and photographer, he has written and directed several features about Cuban culture as well as participating as a producer, director of photography and cameraman in many Cuban and foreign productions. His photographs have been exhibited in Cuba and many other countries. As a personal cameraman, he accompanied Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, on his travels through Cuba and the world from 1984 to 2006, thus perpetuating Fidel's profile and documenting his constant revolutionary exercise. His most relevant photographic projects, "Fidel es Fidel" and "SOMOS", have been praised by the public and critics inside and outside Cuba.

In March 2019 he was awarded the José Martí National Journalism Prize for his life's work. In the words of Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of the City of Havana: “Roberto Chile has forged a unique, always dignified and bright image of Cuba. His images form a universe of faith and spirituality, perceptible to those who, like him, are capable of loving.”

Dougie Souness is a Scottish photographer based in Glasgow. He has made many photographic journeys to Cuba, capturing at first hand the people, infrastructure, landscapes and wildlife throughout the country. He is well known for his artist management role at music company No Half Measures, who work with the groups Wet Wet Wet, Hue and Cry, Red Sky July and Anchor Lane.

Dougie has travelled extensively and has visited more than fifty countries around the world, usually with camera in hand. His music photography has been used in numerous album releases and publications whilst his underwater, street, and landscape photography has received published recognition and plaudits.