Screens Sunday, October 23, 5:30 pm
The Man of Two Havanas
USA /2007 / 96 min
Director: Vivian Lesnik Weisman
Producer: Vivian Lesnik Weisman
Screenwriters: Vivian Lesnik Weisman, Sarah Monson, Tirsa Hackshaw
Cinematographer: Paul Marschall
Editor: Tirsa Hackshaw
Music Composer: Michael Wandmacher
With a childhood filled with bombings and assassination attempts on her father, -Max Lesnik, a close friend of Fidel Castro- filmmaker, Vivien Lesnik Weisman, explores her relationship with him and the Cuba he left behind when he was exiled to the U.S. following a public disagreement over Cuba's ties to the Soviet Union. Instead of joining Castro's right-wing Cuban-American opponents, Lesnik became an outspoken critic of the U.S. embargo and covert warfare to bring down the Cuban government. For his views he was the target of several attacks that nearly cost him his life more than once.
Vivien Lesnik Weisman es hija de Max Lesnik, amigo allegado de Fidel Castro quién debe exilarse por su público desacuerdo de los lazos cubanos con la Unión Soviética. Vivien recuerda su infancia llena de bombas e intentos de asesinato a su padre. Explora su relación con él y la Cuba dejada atrás por su exilio a los Estados Unidos. En vez de unirse al grupo cubano-americano opositor al régimen castrista, Max Lesnik se convierte en un crítico audaz del embargo de los Estados Unidos y de la guerra emprendida para destituir al gobierno cubano. Debido a sus opiniones, Max Lesnik ha sido objeto de varios ataques hacia su persona que más de una vez casi le cuesta la vida.
Cast: Max Lesnik, Vivian Lesnik Weisman
Awards: Winner IFP Best Emerging Latino, Filmmaker Award; Winner Fledgling
Fund Award, Best Documentary WIP
Film Language: English / Spanish
Film Year: 2007
Run Time: 96 min