Afro-Colombian Leader Speaks from New York’s Graduate Center, Reporting by Dr. Steeve Coupeau, 10/07/18

Social leaders had hoped that the peace accord would yield a cessation of attacks against them. But that did not happen. This calls for community self-protection mechanisms. Newly installed Colombian president Ivan Duque stated in NY that there isn't a cent available for the implementation of the peace agreement. To this statement, Hector replies: "There seems to be a lot of money for war. The consequences of non-enforcement are being felt in our communities. If we can enforce all of the terms of the peace agreement, it will benefit not only Colombia but also the United States."

Dr. Steeve Coupeau Goes One-on-One with Zuzelin Martin Lynch, Director of ‘Craving Cuba’ featured at Hudson River International Film Festival, 11 October 2018

Can you tell us about your artistic influences and the journey to get your film to Hudson River Film Festival?

I love independent film. On the narrative side, using art and fiction to portray the beauty in all facets of human emotion rivet me. Documentaries, though, are a gift. I feel it’s a privilege to be able to interview someone because the camera highlights vulnerability and if there is trust, that vulnerability will mirror the complexities of our collective humanity – often times masked in daily life. I’m a big fan of Ava DuVernay, Almodovar, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Wes Anderson on the narrative side and was very much inspired by Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s documentary films, Miss Representation and The Mask You Live in highlighting the damaging effects of media girls and boys (society).

I was lucky that Gisele Ayers, CEO of the Hudson River International Film Festival, was in attendance during a screening for the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education (CAALE). During Q&A, Ms. Ayers told me that she wanted Craving Cuba to be an official selection of the festival. It was an honor to be part of a festival with such an important mission and ties to the United Nations.

Maggie Q receives World Tourism Humanitarian Award by Juergen T Steinmetz, 10/6/18

Maggie Q’s activism has also benefited a major environmental initiative by Kageno in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park, the largest remaining mid-altitude forest in Africa. With 13 primate species, over 300 bird species (27 which are endemic to the Albertine Rift), over 150 species of orchids, and over 100 species of butterflies, Nyungwe is an incredibly rich and bio-diverse jewel in need of protection.

Many local people in the Nyungwe Forest area engage in activities such as illegal logging and poaching. These activities are detrimental to the long-term integrity of the forest and to the natural resource based livelihoods of the local population. Other detrimental activities include illegal mining for gold and columbo-tantalite, a mineral used for the production of cell phones.

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