film

Anecdotes About Fidel

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Director(s)	Estela Bravo
Release Date	2010
Work In Progress	No
Runtime	47 min
Format(s)	DVD
Language(s)	English
Youth Media	No

Film Description

When a young Fidel Castro rescued his friend, Father Amando Llorente, from drowning, he said it was a miracle and prayed to the Virgin Mary. Gabriel Garcia Marquez once gave Castro Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a book that kept him up all night reading.

This witty, engaging documentary from veteran filmmaker Estela Bravo recounts personal anecdotes about the Cuban leader from a wealth of international luminaries including Hollywood stars, writers and political leaders.

US baseball star Hank Aaron chats with Fidel about sports and gets him to sign some baseballs for his grandchildren. While in Havana, Jessie Jackson got Fidel to visit a Church for the first time in 27 years. This led to his appointing a commission to be in charge of the Government’s relations with Cuban churches.

Aleida Guevara, one of Che Guevara’s daughters describes how, when she was 6, Fidel gently prepared her the news of her father’s death.

Alice Walker reports that Fidel has read all her books and has “the curiosity of a child.”

Harry Belafonte describes an incredibly tense situation when he and his wife brought an unusual gift for Castro - a large block of cheese. It caused a stir because security agents weren’t able to determine whether it was poisoned.

“He’s a big star,” says late filmmaker and actor Sydney Pollack. “Whether he’s a villain or not, he’s still a star.”

Estela Bravo’s Anecdotes About Fidel is a rare treat for anyone studying Castro or Cuban history.

Directed by Estela Bravo
2010, 47 minutes
Purchase: $195 Rental: $95

* Official Selection, Havana Film Festival New York, 2010

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Last Updated On:	October 18, 2010