Solidarity Rock - Press - Film: Una Vez Por La Vida

In the summer of 2007, Drew McIntosh went north on a journey that would become the basis of his first feature length documentary. The doc tells a traveling tale of discovery, relating the more human side of the global environmental crisis.

His next project, which began only a few months later, took him in another direction: to the feisty little island that could. McIntosh took to Cuban tarmac in December of 2007 with Edmonton band 7 And 7 Is, as they became the first western rock band to tour the socialist state.

Not to miss this footnote in rock and roll history, McIntosh packed into the old Russian cars, beat-up busses and horse-drawn carts that carried these kids around the island, putting together a visual tour of history being made and possibly creating a lasting bond between the City of Champions and a Cuba in rapid transition.

Touring at the DIY level allowed McIntosh and the band to see clearly the difficulty the Cuban youth culture endures when trying to create their art. That understanding inspired McIntosh's other endeavor: Solidarity Rock, a project through which cooperation on the behalf of several Edmonton bands and organizers puts instruments and tools into the hands of Cuban youth, artists and musicians who want work the creative field.

What McIntosh puts down in Una Vez Por La Vida (Once in a Lifetime) is the adventure that unfolds as 7 And 7 Is plays seven shows in five Cuban cities. The film made its Calgary debut at Sled Island.

"This thing all started when Sean (from 7 And 7 Is) went down to Cuba with a Cuban friend who had been living in Edmonton," says McIntosh. "They were passing around the guitar, and when Sean took it and started playing, a bunch of the guys there were like 'are you in a band?' He said yes, and they wanted him to come and play."

A few months and emails later, things were coming together. The band would set up a tour, and McIntosh would document whatever beast this was to become. As would be expected, there would be many delays, problems and inconveniences in touring a country often deemed oppressive, and whose leader actually banned rock and roll full stop in the 1960s - not to mention the logistical challenges associated with the embargo stricken country. But it is perhaps the overcoming of this adversity that makes the viewing experience a worthy and fascinating one.

McIntosh recalls a conversation with a local film academic in Habana: "The guy was like, 'Everyone is curious about what we have going on here, everyone wants to know what Cuba is actually like, but they only ever show you through the same three fucking lenses. And you're showing it through rock music. I love it.'"

Stylistically, McIntosh is just slightly minimalist. He intends to convey the ideas leanly without excessive blather or falling back on the modern documentary formula evident in many similar films.

"I really want my voice to be heard as the imagery in the film," says McIntosh. "Voiceover just doesn't work for me. There are these shots of the band, and it's like, 'look at them actually loading touring gear onto a horse cart.' I really don't need to point that out. People can see it and think about it themselves." The accompanying score emphasizes a feeling of special significance in what is happening, coming off as rather blatant but giving the film its fitting and slightly grainy edge.

If you missed Una Vez Por La Vida at Sled Island, there are a few copies available at select record stores around Edmonton, and they'll soon be available on Amazon.ca. Other info is available at www.7and7isincuba.com and www.thesundial.ca.

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Film: Una Vez Por La Vida