Despite spending more than half a billion dollars over the last quarter century, U.S. government broadcasts to Cuba have gained only a tiny audience and have had virtually no effect on the island’s politics, according to a new report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Institute for Policy Studies celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and the prospects for U.S.-Cuban Relations under the Obama Administration with a screening of IPS Fellow, Cuba expert and film-maker Saul Landau’s film, "Fidel" (shot in 1968). Traveling in a Jeep with Fidel Castro, Landau’s documentary offers a personal profile of El Jefe and snapshots of the Revolution’s first 10 years, including rare footage of the Bay of Pigs invasion and of Fidel and Che Guevera in the Sierra Maestra mountains.
“The great quality of this remarkable film,” wrote Ralph Gleason in the Rolling Stone, “is that it is educational in the best possible sense. It gives you a feeling for what revolution — any revolution — is actually about, what it means in all its implications and how it affects the lives of the people.” Landau’s film remains just as relevant and insightful today as it was 40 years ago, with the advent of progressive governments in Latin America inspired by the Cuban Revolution.
Following the screening of the film, Landau will take Q&A from the audience and special invited guests.
Seating is limited, so please RSVP to Farrah Hassen at farrah@ips-dc.org or call (202) 234-9382, ext. 255.