Private Project

FIDEL up CLOSE. An intimate portrait of Fidel Castro.

There is probably no other protagonist of the 20th century who has been as much talked about and as studied as Fidel Castro. Together with Che Guevara, his brother Raul and 80 dreamers, he started a movement that defeated the US backed regime of the Cuban dictator Batista and his partners, the American Crime Syndicates. The popular Revolution encountered the opposition of the US Government and the privileged Cubans.

He survived over 600 murder attempts and took a strong stance against the US since 1959, outliving 10 US presidents. His leadership carried the Cuban people to confront the 50 years old political and economic Embargo with exemplary dignity.

He has shaped Cuba into a new type of country, provoking over half a century of on-going debates, attacks, praise, and admiration. The small island is today one of the world leaders in Education, Health, and Social equality as well as a strong Internationalist stance that helped defeat Aparthaid in South Africa.

Besides the titanic political figure was a man, a father, a brother and a son. This documentary attempts to be up there, close to a man whose name was Fidel.

  • Eduardo Flores, Gabriel Beristain, Roberto Chile
    Director
  • Hubert Barreiro, Eduardo Flores, Ángeles Necoechea
    Writer
  • Eduardo Flores, Gabriel Beristain, Roberto Chile
    Producer
  • Fidel Castro
    Key Cast
    "as himself"
  • Antonio Tranquilino, Noel Gutierrez
    Music
  • Eduardo Flores
    Original Idea
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Historical, Current Affairs
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 34 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 13, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    250,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Cuba, Mexico, United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital and archives
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Eduardo Flores, Gabriel Beristain, Roberto Chile

Born in a family devoted to filmmaking, Eduardo gained first hand contact with the world of film from a very early age while visiting his father at the Churbusco studios where he was technical director. The studios were at the time the biggest and most active in the whole of Latin America.
After graduating in 1995 with a special distinction in cinematography from the London International Film School, one of the most prestigious filmmaking academic institutions in the world, Eduardo has been active in the art and craft of cinematography ever since and in an endless search of meaning, trough the vital yet beautiful mix of light, shadow and color.
In his career now expanding over 20 years of active non-stop commitment to the craft, he has collaborated in more than 30 feature length films and documentaries and in over 300 music videos and tv commercials for national and international brands.
In the documentary field, he is a frequent collaborator of networks such as the Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel. Most noteworthy is the recent documentary TEOTIHAUCAN, that aired in the National Geographic channel last year to great reviews. He has also earned numerous awards for his photography and direction on this piece.

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