A San Diego screening of Quba has brought a filmmaker's account of Cuba's LGBTQ rights journey to a group of local activists. The documentary follows the island's path towards greater family equality, including the 2022 referendum that approved a new Family Code. Its story offers a timely look at how law, culture and public debate can meet.
A San Diego screening brings the story to local audiences
Around 25 activists gathered in San Diego on 28 October to watch Quba, a documentary about Cuba's progress on LGBTQ equality. Organised by Somos Raza and San Diego City Puente Club, the event also gave attendees a chance to put questions to director Kim Anno over Zoom. [2]
The screening connected a local audience with a story that reaches well beyond one film night. Attendees voiced support for LGBTQ rights internationally, as well as for Cuba's Revolution, according to the event report. [2]
What Quba says about Cuba's changing family laws
Anno began researching the subject in 2016, aiming to document the final push towards legalising same-sex marriage in Cuba. The film follows a longer process of social and political change, rather than treating a change in the law as the whole story. [2], [3]
A major milestone came in 2022, when a national referendum approved a new Family Code. The legislation legalised same-sex marriage and opened the way for same-sex couples to adopt, marking a significant change in the legal recognition of families. [2], [7]
From New York premiere to international festivals
Quba premiered in New York in 2025 and has since had special screenings in Cuban cities, as well as appearances at festivals internationally. The film's official site and festival listings place it within a wider circuit of cultural screenings, where audiences can encounter the story in different settings. [2], [3], [4]
That kind of festival life matters for a documentary about a subject shaped by both policy and personal experience. A screening can prompt questions that a headline about legislation alone might not, especially when viewers have the chance to speak directly with the filmmaker. [4], [5], [6]
Why this documentary's journey matters
The San Diego event took place amid national protests against the US blockade of Cuba, giving the screening a political backdrop as well as a cultural one. The organisers and attendees framed the evening around solidarity, while the film itself centres on LGBTQ rights and family law. [2]
For viewers, the most useful way into Quba may be to see it as both a record of a particular legal journey and an invitation to consider how change happens. The referendum was a landmark, but the discussion around equality doesn't end when the voting does. [2], [3], [7]
A film that keeps the conversation moving
As Quba continues to travel through cinemas and festivals, each screening gives audiences another chance to discuss Cuba's evolving approach to family rights. It's a reminder that social change is made visible not only in new laws, but in the conversations people are willing to have. [3], [4], [6]
Source Reference Map
Story idea inspired by: [1]
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