CUBA AND FIDEL (1974- Directed by Saul Landau)

Cuba and Fidel (1974) / Written, produced and directed by Saul Landau. RWP: In 1974, Fidel Castro felt optimistic about the Cuban Revolution. As he tours a newly-built apartment complex, he accepts a neighbor’s invitation, sips rum in her apartment and listens to her daughter sing “Que Linda es Cuba.” Fidel also meets Vietnamese women and tells them “it is almost as hot here today as it was in Quang Tri”, revealing that he had visited the war zone in 1973. In his office, he discusses his conception of democracy and how it differs from the western notion. “Without equality, we think there can be no real democracy”, he informs the film crew. He then recounts the evolution of how class domination evolved from slavery through colonialism, which leads him to talk of how much of Cuba was owned by the United States before the revolution. This film is beautifully photographed and contains unique footage both of Castro and of rural and urban Cuba. Lyrical and rhythmic Cuban music makes the montages of farm and city life come alive. 24 min.