Havana Taxi. Life and Lies in the New Cuba
Havanna Taxi. Liv og løgn på det nye Cuba
«Go to Cuba», the tourists say, «before it’s too late». «The island is changing», the experts say.
When Norwegian anthropologist Ståle Wig moves to Havana and starts driving a taxi, he discovers a different story. Havana Taxi is the true story of three individuals and a taxi, set in the shadow of the recent changes in Cuba – the connection to the internet, the opening to the United States, and the death of Fidel Castro.
Norjes, Linet, and Catalina seize the new opportunities. Norjes starts a blog criticizing the authorities. Linet opens a private rental business. Catalina, once a child of the revolution and now an inspector for one of Havana’s largest hotels, sets up a taxi service together with the author. But soon, they notice how their dreams and initiatives collide with old, ingrained structures. Cuba’s great transformation is not what it seems.
‘Wig writes excitingly, almost fictionally. (…) He tells the life story of his friends openly and closely (…) so that they become a living, human contrast to a faceless system.’
Stavanger Aftenblad, 5 out of 6 stars
‘Highly readable (…) The author has collected and put together episodes and events that give a credible picture of life in Cuba. In my opinion he has done an outstanding job (…) Highly recommended!’
Nettavisen, 5 out of 6 stars
