For this episode happy to have with me Steven Osuna to talk about the legendary film Memories of Underdevelopment by late Cuban Filmmaker and theorist Tomas Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. Alea was a major figure in cinema, and in the development of Cuban cinema and culture in the early days of the revolution until his death in 1996. A prolific filmmaker, cinematic theorist and cultural leader who was one of the founders of the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC). While he made many incredible films, Memories of Underdevelopment is one that is most known, and often is misrepresented here in the imperial core, as a film critical Cuba's socialist revolution. Steven and I look at the film from the revolutionary socialist perspective it was made in and look to challenge the revision that has been attempted towards the film and Aleas legacy overall. Memories of Underdevelopment stands as one of the great analysis of the concept of underdevelopment that comes out of Marxist theory.

Steven Osuna is an Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Long Beach. His research interests include racism and political economy; globalization and immigration, policing and criminalization; and social theory. Steven was born and raised in Echo Park, Los Angeles and is a son of Mexican and Salvadoran working-class migrants. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Homies Unidos-Los Angeles and a member of the Philippines US Solidarity Organization (PUSO). He holds a PhD in Sociology with an emphasis on Black Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara

To get a jump on the shows a few days early, bonus video episodes every month, deeper dives into text and works with revolutionary content and political art study groups check out Mtume's Patreon and become a subscriber!

Additionally, check out my new colaboration The Imperial 80's, a series I co-hosted with Jared Ware of Millenials are Killing Capitalism. We take a dive into the wild world of 80's Hollywood and uncover what it has to say about this imperial project called The United States. You can find us on Patreon and make sure to follow the channel if you want to catch the livestreams

Tumes

For this episode I am joined by Lara Sheehi, someone if you have been paying attention to these anti-imperialist airwaves you have def seen, and if you aren't yet familiar with Lara's work you are def in for something truly substantial, and can't miss this episode. Lara, who is one the true counter hegemonic forces in the world of psychoanalysis helps me untangle questions around the ideas of narrative, and documentation within the imperial nexus and the pernicious liberal project of humanization. I also ask Lara to help me unpack a bit how and possibly why psychoanalysis is popular in Film Studies these days. Its a great convo and Im sure you will ALL enjoy!

Lara Sheehi is a Research Fellow at the University of South Africa's Institute for Social and Health Sciences, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the host of the Psychic Militancy podcast. Lara's work focuses on psychoanalysis, the psychic refusals central to liberation struggles and life-making in the Global South, the psychic dimensions of resistance and revolution, and critical Zionism studies. She is co-author with Stephen Sheehi of Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine (Routledge, 2022) which won the Middle East Monitor's 2022 Palestine Book Award for Best Academic Book. Lara is a member of the founding collective for the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism and is on the advisory board for Forensic Architecture. Her new book, From the Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures will be released by Pluto Press in May 2026.

Relevant Episodes w/ Lara Sheehi

A Call for Revolutionary Intellectual Alignment with Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah

Colonial Psyops with Lara Sheehi in conversation with Nick Estes

Chuck Norris Has Died. The Delta Force | Lara Sheehi & Stephen Sheehi | The Imperial '80s Episode 19

To get a jump on the shows a few days early, bonus video episodes every month, deeper dives into text and works with revolutionary content and political art study groups check out Mtume's Patreon and become a subscriber!

Additionally, check out my new colaboration The Imperial 80's, a series I co-hosted with Jared Ware of Millenials are Killing Capitalism. We take a dive into the wild world of 80's Hollywood and uncover what it has to say about this imperial project called The United States. You can find us on Patreon and make sure to follow the channel if you want to catch the livestreams

Tumes

For this episode I am solo! I dive into a Patreon members extended question on Third Cinema and how can we envision it for today. It was a rather capacious set of questions so I felt it would be good to set aside some time to jump into the topic more thoroughly as it connects to a lot my current theoretical work that I am developing.

In general I plan on doing these solo episodes once a quarter (at least) and will do at least a section of it focused on listener questions!

And don't worry, Ill be back with folks for guest episodes very soon.

To get a jump on the shows a few days early, bonus video episodes every month, deeper dives into text and works with revolutionary content and political art study groups check out Mtume's Patreon and become a subscriber!

Additionally, check out my new colaboration The Imperial 80's, a series I co-hosted with Jared Ware of Millenials are Killing Capitalism. We take a dive into the wild world of 80's Hollywood and uncover what it has to say about this imperial project called The United States. You can find us on Patreon and make sure to follow the channel if you want to catch the livestreams

Tumes