Suspense in the Caribbean: "Yo gramma, where she at?" or the Abense of Afrocubanness in Juan of the Dead

Abstract

This article examines the film Juan of the Dead (Alejandro Brugués, 2011) from an angle that critics have overlooked: the absence of Afrocubanness and of any criticism of the racism still existing in Cuba. Through close readings of the zombie, religious allusions, primary and secondary characters, and locations, we argue that the film espouses a narrative that depicts Cuba as a racial democracy and overlooks the existence of racism. Furthermore, we contend that the racial dynamics portrayed in the film result in the whitening of Cuban society, of Cubanness, and Cuba in general, which undermines the film's overtly critical nature. We conclude that the film relies heavily on trite criticism of the Cuban government and life in Cuba, but that skirts on far more controversial issues such as race and racism. In doing so, even if inadvertently, Juan of the Dead aligns itself with the official discourse.