Animal Tropical

August 2016. Three months before the death of Fidel, I traveled to Cuba with improvised means, stopping in places described by the Cuban writer Pedro Juan Gutierrez. In his boks he frequently uses the expression "animal tropical" when he speaks of himself and his compatriots. With these two simple words he refers to the indomitable sensuality that lies under the skin of the Cuban people, and that shines through in every aspect of daily life. But where this sensuality reaches its peak, it's definitely in the rituals of Afro-Cuban Santerìa, where music, black magic, dance and faith come together to create such a seductive reality as mysterious and elusive. My idea was not to document the political situation of the island, which is for months now in the spotlight. I wanted to focus on something that would go over. So I traveled in Cuba with little money and without any assignment, looking, starting from the street, all the knowledge that could make me access in the heart of Santerìa. It was not easy. That of Santerìa is a very closed world that jealously guards its occult practices. But patience, respect and constant dialogue have allowed me to gain the trust of many people who practice this religion. So I was able to scratch the tip of the iceberg of one of the lesser-known reality of the Cuban people. And in the end, what I learned is that in Cuba, the magic is hidden in all the things. And dwell on the spirituality of the Cuban people might be one way to look at the island in a different way.