HFFNY Update: Estela Bravo’s "Fidel"
The propaganda machine was in full swing yesterday at the screening of Fidel at the Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY). The film, which outlines the life and achievements of Cuba’s former President Fidel Castro, was part of the Estela Bravo Retrospective: Witness of Her Time program which is a centerpiece in this year’s festival.
The documentary was less of a film and more of an lesson in adulation. Director Estela Bravo never strayed from her hero-worship of Fidel Castro and the film read more like a infomercial, with extreme bias and lack of balance. Initially, I thought that Ms. Bravo, being such a celebrated filmmaker, would exercise some restraint and be more objective. However, a half-hour into the 90 minute film, it was clear that was not going to happen.
Ms. Bravo includes many well-known celebrities and apparent Castro supporters in the “cast” of her film. Among them were Muhammad Ali, writer Alice Walker, Nelson Mandela, Harry Belafonte, Sydney Pollack, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Ms. Bravo also includes interviews Wayne Smith, former head of the US Special Interests Section in Havana and former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, both of whom sing the praises of Castro’s government.
Surprisingly, Ms. Bravo did see fit to examine some of difficulties Cuba has faced in its years since independence. One such time followed the collapse of the USSR, a span of years in also known as the Special Period. The explanation and effects of the Special Period, however, was very brief, lasting under two minutes and focused more on visiting media-mogul Ted Turner’s car breaking down in the streets of Havana than the millions of Cubans suffering from starvation at the hands of the government. The film, however, completely failed to mention the Mariel Boatlift, which took over 125,000 Cubans to the United States, or why each year thousands are still willing to risk death on a torturous raft trip through the Caribbean in order to leave Castro’s Cuba.
Not all was bad with the film. I was impressed with the rare footage from the Revolutionaries march through the Sierra Maestra mountains en route to victory in Havana. The film also includes lesser-seen interviews with Castro, all of which portrayed Castro in a very candid manner– a far cry from the fatigue-clad rebel that the US media is intent on showing.
In defense of Estela Bravo, it has been widely reported that she spends a considerable amount of time in Cuba– a country where it is widely known that those who speak out against the government will be imprisoned. Fear not, Ms. Bravo. This documentary will ensure your good standing with Cuba’s Communist Party for many years to come.
Summary: 2 of 5 stars. This film, with its series of toasts, is fit for Castro’s next birthday (or funeral)… not a film festival.
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