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Letters to Eloisa

Through the letters to his sister (1961-1976) Eloisa living in exile, legendary Cuban writer José Lezama Lima, author "Paradiso" a novel of the Latin American Boom, reveals his complex and ultimate tragic relationship to the Cuban revolutionary state.

  • Adriana Bosch
    Director
    American Comandante, Foreigners in their Own Land and Empire of Dreams (Latin-Americans Series, 2013) Divas and Superstars (Latin Music USA series, 2010) Yellow Fever (2007) Fidel Castro (2006) Jimmy Carter (2003)
  • Adriana Bosch
    Writer
    American Comandante, Latin Music USA, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Carter, The Rockefellers, Ulysses S. Grant
  • Adriana Bosch
    Producer
    American Experience Series, Latin Music USA, Latinoamericans, American Comandante
  • Maria Bures
    Producer
  • Alfred Molina
    Key Cast
    "Reads Lezama's letters"
    Raiders of the Lost Ark. Frieda Kahlo
  • Arturo Sandoval
    Key Cast
    "Composer"
    The Mule
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 1 minute 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 3, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    515,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Cuba, Dominican Republic, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon 300, Arris Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Miami International Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    March 8, 2020
    World Premiere (Festival's early cancellation removed film from consideration)
    Official Selection. Festival was cancelled early because of Coronavirus. Documentary Audience Achievement Award was not awarded.
  • Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
    On Line
    May 19, 2020
    No
    Official Selection
  • San Diego Latino International Film Festival
  • OUTshine Film Festival, Fort Lauterdale LGBTQ Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale
    United States
Distribution Information
  • PBSd
    Sales Agent
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Adriana Bosch

Adriana Bosch is an independent documentary film maker with more than 30 years of experience. She was Series Producer of Latino Americans a six hour series for PBS (2013) and for the four hour series Latin Music USA, (2009). Bosch has produced and written a number of films for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. including several of that series’ acclaimed presidential biographies, including films on Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Dwight Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant. She also produced and wrote a documentary on The Rockefeller family, a two hour award winning documentary on Fidel Castro (2005), and a one hour documentary on Cuban scientist Carlos Finlay (2007). Her films have received many of the industry’s highest awards, including two Peabody Awards, an Emmy Award, a Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival, an Erik Barnouw Award in addition to many nominations, including for best documentary from the IDA and three nominations from the Writer’s Guild. Born in Cuba, Bosch holds a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Her latest documentary “American Comandante” aired November 17, 2015 on PBS’ history series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As Documentary Film Maker who specializes in biography I aim to create an emotional link between the character and the viewer and convey as intimate a portrait as possible of a protagonist as they traverse challenges sometimes of epic proportions. In the opening scene of letters to Eloisa the main story line is already drawn: the film is a tragic love story of family separation and longing old through the letters of Lezama Lima to sister who has left for exile, and the conflict is between the artist and an intolerant state, embodied by Fidel Castro. The central heme is the crushing weight of totalitarianism on an artist life and soul. This film is ultimately a Manifesto about freedom. As José Lezama Lima himself wrote: "If there is no freedom there is no possibility, there is no image, there is no poetry. If there is no freedom there can be no truth. "

The voice of Lezama Lima is provided by Alfred Molina, the Music is composed by Arturo Sandoval.