In front of a packed auditorium at the Fidel Castro Ruz Center in Havana, the documentary “Fidel and Socialist Cuba: Burn the Skies” premiered, a production of Brazil in fact which brings together historical images, testimonies and unpublished records about the Cuban Revolution and the thoughts of Fidel Castro.
The session was attended by the protagonists of the documentary, as well as authorities and researchers from the Fidel Castro Ruz Center, representatives of the Brazilian diplomatic corps in Cuba and the diplomatic mission of Puerto Rico, as well as figures such as Aleida Guevara March, daughter of commander Ernesto Che Guevara.
The opening words were given by René González Barrios, director of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center, who recalled the ties of friendship between Cuba and Brazil and highlighted that Brazil was the country that Fidel Castro visited most often. He also highlighted that, at the recently held 1st Fidel Castro International Colloquium, the Brazilian delegation was one of the largest.
Available for free on the channel Brazil in fact on YouTube, with subtitles in Portuguese and Spanish, the documentary incorporates never-before-seen footage of the Cuban Revolution and little-known speeches by Fidel Castro.
Over the course of approximately 45 minutes, the production brings together testimonies from figures such as Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, deputy Mariela Castro, Fidel’s niece and daughter of Raúl Castro, and doctor Aleida Guevara, daughter of Ernesto Che Guevara. Workers, peasants, artists and scientists also share their memories and perspectives on the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution.
“Fidel is an expression of the people, but a sublime expression of the people. We who grew up within the Revolution were born, for example, at the height of the fight against illiteracy. My mother, when I was still in her womb, was carrying out the revolution in the fields, teaching”, he stated, in conversation with the Brazil in factAndrés José Pío Soria, pediatric surgeon who participated in the session.
“The documentary is a synthesis of the feelings of our people at this difficult time. And we are very grateful,” he said.
The project initially started from a script centered exclusively on Fidel Castro’s centenary, but the focus changed as the investigation progressed, in a context marked by the announcement, by the Cuban government, of a package of 176 economic transformation measures.
During the 14 days of work in Havana, the team also recorded the daily difficulties arising from the energy situation, including electricity and water cuts, as well as travel problems.
Pablo Castellanos, a young Cuban journalist, said that the images of Fidel and the way in which the different testimonies were articulated provoked great emotion in him.
“Due to the images of Fidel and the way all the material was put together, I felt an enormous emotion. As a young Cuban that I am, seeing the way in which the ideas and words of the people who were part of the documentary are presented, talking about Fidel, about the Revolution and about the legacy that the commander left, not just for Cuba, not just for Latin America, but for the whole world”, he stated.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
