Cuba Black and White

Book excerpt: In 1961, the US ban on Cuban trade and travel, followed by a break in diplomatic relations, created a de facto embargo on information about Cuba. In 1999, at age 25, Anna Mia Davidson went to Cuba for the first time on a personal journey to capture the isolated island nation. Cuba was just beginning to recover from the "Special Period," the economic crisis that occurred after 1989 when Russia pulled its financial support after nearly four decades. On further travels during the following eight years, Davidson portrayed daily life in the cities, villages and countryside. Her black-and-white photographs are a testimony to the resilience of the Cuban people, who stood their ground during this transitional period with ingenuity and spirit. It was also here that Davidson came into contact with traditional forms of sustainable farming, a passion that has endured over the years.