Was Filmmaker Oliver Stone Swayed by Castro's Charm?
February 18th, 2003
Oliver Stone says the charms of Fidel Castro did not cause him to lose his objectivity when filming a documentary of the 76-year-old Cuban president. Nevertheless, the three-day encounter left a deep impression. "We should look to him as one of the Earth's wisest people, one of the people we should consult," Stone said at a press conference after "Comandante" was screened Friday at the Berlin Film Festival. "The film is an attempt to portray the human figure," Stone said of the HBO documentary in which Castro talks about Che Guevara and the assassination of President Kennedy, and offers a rare glimpse into his private life. Stone, director of "Platoon" and "Nixon," also was keen to point out the achievements of the Castro regime, such as providing schooling and basic services lacking elsewhere in Latin America, and said he hoped the film might prompt a change in U.S. policy. "I believe the embargo is outdated," he said. "There is a difficult lobby in Miami and Washington which prevents us breaking this barrier. It points to the power of vengeance and obsessiveness.
(Source: AP)
(Source: AP)
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