This Monthly Cuban Cultural & Film Night was a special evening, It was a fundraiser to cover some of the expenses of the Che Conference also to send youth to volunteer in Cuba this summer. With banners, flags and photos of the great revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara adorning the walls, the “Monthly Cuba Cultural-Film Evening” was held at Mt. Pleasant Neighbourhood House on Friday June 6th. Organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) this event brought people from across the lower mainland together for an evening of culture, film, food and fundraising! MC Tamara Hansen, the coordinator of VCSC, kicked off the event welcoming everyone and introducing the film “Che: Love, Politics and Rebellion”. The film is the first Cuban-made biography about the life of Ernesto Che Guevara and laid the ground work for why the cultural evening was organized. This event was indeed a special occasion because 15 young people from Vancouver will be traveling to Cuba this summer with the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba and the Ernesto Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade. The cultural night was organized to help support their trips, as well as the flights of conference speakers for the international conference taking place in Vancouver June 13 & 14 2008, “Che Guevara Thinker and Fighter! Are His Ideas Relevant to the 21st Century?” Speakers will be flying in from Cuba, Venezuela, the United States and Nova Scotia to participate. The film was followed by an open mic - poets, writers and storytellers shared their dynamic and beautiful works including: Alejandro Mujica-Olea, April Desilets, Seonaid Lamb, Noah Fine, and Lance Read. Soon after, the room was amazed by the dancing of Maria Gourley and her students. They performed several songs in different outfits, bringing dance, colour, and electricity to the air. Then a short film was played which showed the 2006 Che Brigade in action in Cuba. Nita Palmer, a route coordinator for this year’s Pastors for Peace Caravan, then introduced a bit about the Caravan’s amazing magical routes. This was followed by the singing of a choir of 12 Cuba travelers who electrified every single person in audience. Colleen Glynn, president of the Richmond NDP, and David Whittlesey, an organizer with the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver, both came onto the stage and explained their work with these young people and why they believed everyone should dig deep into their pockets to support their trips to Cuba. Choir singers then distributed a beautiful new VCSC poster commemorating the 80th birthday of Che Guevara to the over 75 people in the audience. Spectators were then treated to the beautiful music of Joaquin Ernesto, from the “Romantic Tango” show on Vancouver’s Coop Radio. The evening wrapped up with some dancing and the exciting raffle draw. Everyone left with Cuba solidarity materials and a new poster of Che to remind them of a great evening – and the important international conference happening next weekend For more information on the “Che Guevara Thinker and Fighter!” conference please visit: http://che2008vancouver.blogspot.com Enjoying the film "Che: Love, Politics & Rebellion" Interactive poetry! A participant signs the petition to demand freedom for the 5 Cuban heroes held in US jails! MC & VCSC Coordinator Tamara Hansen introduces the raffle prizes	Report Back VCSC Special Monthly Cuba Cultural & Film Night! "Che: Love, Politics & Rebellion" & "Volunteer Work Brigade" Click on photos to enlarge Maria Gourley and her dancers were special guest dance performers! Lance Read recounts his experiences on the 2006 Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade Alejandro Mujica-Olea, poet from "Proyecto Cultural Sur" reads from his latest book of poems Another poet, Seonaid Lamb, brought her poems to the open mic Past and future participants on the Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade and Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba sing a tribute to the Cuban 5 Pastors for Peace Caravanista David Whittlesey makes an appeal to the crowd to support the Caravan and the Brigade A happy raffle prize winner! Another happy raffle prize winner! Guitarist and singer Joaquin Ernesto was back at this VCSC event by popular demand! Joaquin Ernesto and Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver Coordinator Noah Fine join their voices together Everyone's a winner!