The Miami International Film Festival won’t be showing Oliver Stone’s latest endeavor, “Comandante,” a documentary on Cuban leader Fidel Castro, for fear it may “inflame” the Cuban exile community, reports the Miami Herald.
“You program for a community, not for yourself. … No one should go into any job to shock,” the festival’s new director, Nicole Guillemet, told the Herald.
Guillemet also said she learned of the film after she had already finished programming the documentary portion of the festival, which includes a documentary about the escape of Cuban refugees, commonly known as “rafters,” and the subsequent hardships they endured in the United States. That film is called “Balseros.”
Why would Stone’s “Comandante” rile the Cuban exile community?
As WorldNetDaily reported, those who have seen the film and understand the atrocities committed by Castro – from mass killings to holding of political prisoners to sponsorship of terrorism – say it is a one-sided propaganda piece that portrays the Cuban dictator as an international cultural and political hero.
In the 93-minute documentary, which was culled from 30 hours of intimate interviews over three days, Castro likens himself to a “prisoner” because of his devotion to running the communist island nation, reports the Herald.
Castro blithely remarks, ”One of the greatest benefits of the revolution is even our prostitutes are college graduates.”
”I am a dictator to myself, a slave to the people,” Castro confides to Stone.
 Oliver Stone |
“He is a movie star,” Stone declared of Castro, who has long been a favorite of Hollywood stars – from Stone to Robert Redford and even Steven Spielberg, who recently returned from a trip to Cuba urging the embargo be lifted.
The Herald reviewer said Stone’s intention with “Comandante” is clearly to entertain and he makes no attempt to show the desperation and poverty of Cuba under the repressive Castro regime. Rather, the director of political dramas like “JFK” and “Nixon” wants his audience to see Castro ”in a new light and as a person.”
The portrayal of the 76-year-old dictator is that of a charming, “magnetic and charismatic” elder statesman, according to the reviewer, and a man who has regrets.
”I have not spent much time with my children. Perhaps I am not a good father,” Castro reportedly admits.
“Comandante” will air on HBO in May.
Stone, 56, won the Best Director Oscar for ”Born on the Fourth of July” and ”Platoon.” Among his other well-known works are ”Wall Street,” ”Natural Born Killers,” ”The Doors,” and ”Any Given Sunday.”
Stone’s next project? Yasser Arafat.
WorldNetDaily also reported Stone is said to have shot more than 80 hours of material in Israel and the West Bank, for a potentially explosive movie project lionizing the Palestinian leader called “Persona Non Grata.”
 Yasser Arafat |
Stone interviewed Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Arafat and a leader of Hamas in what he described as an effort ”to provide materials for the broadest possible overview of the conflict.”
Following his trip to the Middle east last year, Stone was quoted in Daily Variety as saying he ”understands why they, the suicide bombers, feel the way they do.”
”He also reminded,” the entertainment paper continued, ”’I’m
against violence in these matters. I’m against suicide bombers – they kill innocent people.”
Stone added, however, ”The settlements – they are something else. The Israelis have no business in the West Bank. The settlements have to be gotten out of the West Bank.”
The film has been commissioned by French and Spanish television companies. There is a possibility PBS may buy rights to air it in the U.S.
”The power of name appeal in the film industry is unbelievable,” said Zvi Vapni, deputy counsel at Israel’s consulate in Los Angeles. ”People who might not sit and watch a documentary on Arafat for a minute, will sit and watch if Oliver Stone’s name is on it. That is our concern. It will have a strong impact for many people.”
Cuban Americans hold the same fear over “Comandante.”
Previous story:
Oliver Stone to immortalize Castro, Arafat?
Related special offers:
Get Michael Medved’s “Hollywood vs. America” autographed
Get the video documentary “Death By Entertainment.”
