Directed by: William Sabourin O'Reilly
Produced by: TungstenMonkey
Producer: Bryan Bailey

Synopsis_

“There has been no other film, produced either in or outside Cuba, that goes as deep into the fascinating underground of the most African Cuban cities, Santiago de Cuba.”


Lazaro and The Shark: Cuba Under the Surface is a feature documentary that brings us to the world of Conga Competitions in the Carnival of Santiago de Cuba - one of the poorest Carnival in the world. Lázaro, the leader of the Conga de Los Hoyos, is determined to win the coveted award bestowed to the neighborhood that presents the most spectacular Conga. Like leaders of rival congas, Lazaro must join with his neighbors and scour the strictly rationed marketplace to find the necessary materials to create a show-stopping performance. Director William Sabourin O'Reilly, an Afrocuban native to Havana, offers a rare window into communist Cuba, a country that is often romanticized, and almost always portrayed through the eyes of an outsider.