- Title: Oliver Stone mourns Fidel Castro at New Latin Cinema Festival
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (DECEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** GENERAL OF MALECON THOROUGHFARE HAVANA INTERNATIONAL MOVIE FESTIVAL SIGNS ALONG MALECON CHILDREN WATCHING WAVES WASH UP CUBAN NATIONAL HOTEL VARIOUS OF U.S. FILM DIRECTOR, OLIVER STONE, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AUDIENCE AT NEWS CONFERENCE GENERAL OF CONFERENCE WITH STONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. FILM DIRECTOR, OLIVER STONE, SAYING: "He (Fidel Castro) is gone to…many people think he is gone to hell other people think he is gone to heaven, but he's gone, and we all miss him, those who knew him will certainly miss him. But he was a man, a character for all seasons as a dramatist you love him, because he's so big, and so many decades, a big mind, a big thought process, energy was amazing." GENERAL OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English with Spanish translation) U.S. FILM DIRECTOR, OLIVER STONE, SAYING: "But Fidel was a man who everything he predicted happened after 2001. He saw things very clearly and I think that one of his last editorials he was writing about how be careful of Obama. Castro saw all the Americans presidents since Eisenhower, so he saw the best and often the worst." GENERAL OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English with Spanish translation) U.S. FILM DIRECTOR, OLIVER STONE, SAYING: "And Obama is just as bad as Bush, he's expanded his programmes, he is more intelligent, more elegant in his presentations, and he is a complete liar." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 02:02
- Keywords: Oliver Stone Fidel Castro Barack Obama filmmaker Havana
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CFW5S3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The polemical filmmaker Oliver Stone opined Sunday (December 11) on the death of Fidel Castro Sunday (December 11) at the Havana International Movie Festival, and called the fallen Cuban leader "a character for all seasons."
Cuban Revolutionary Fidel Castro died on November 25. A towering figure of the 20th century and Cold War icon, Castro stuck to his ideology beyond the collapse of Soviet communism and remained widely respected in parts of the world that struggled against colonial rule.
Days after Cuba wrapped up its public mourning for Castro, Stone is on visit to the Caribbean island to promote his film "Snowden," his feature film about the contractor of the National Security Agency (NSA) that has been submitted to the Havana International Movie Festival.
Stone is no stranger to Castro or Latin America. He's worked on three documentaries that features Cuba, "Comandante" ("Commander") from 2003; "Buscando a Fidel" ("Searching for Fidel") from 2005; and "Castro in Winter" from 2012. He also championed the Latin left with his 2009 documentary, "South of the Border."
Mindful of Castro's divisive legacy, Stone spoke of the man he will remember.
"He (Fidel Castro) is gone to…many people think he is gone to hell other people think he is gone to heaven, but he's gone, and we all miss him, those who knew him will certainly miss him. But he was a man, a character for all seasons as a dramatist you love him, because he's so big, and so many decades, a big mind, a big thought process, energy was amazing," he said.
The bearded Fidel Castro took power in a 1959 revolution and ruled Cuba for 49 years with a mix of charisma and iron will, creating a one-party state and becoming a central figure in the Cold War.
He was demonized by the United States and its allies for his repression of dissent at home and support of rebellion abroad, but admired by many leftists around the world, especially in Latin America and Africa.
For Stone, Castro was a seer of the 21st Century.
"But Fidel was a man who everything he predicted happened after 2001. He saw things very clearly and I think that one of his last editorials he was writing about how be careful of Obama. Castro saw all the Americans presidents since Eisenhower, so he saw the best and often the worst".
He went on to bash Obama, who is weeks away from handing over power to Donald Trump.
"And Obama is just as bad as Bush, he's expanded his programmes, he is more intelligent, more elegant in his presentations, and he is a complete liar," Stone said.
Before his treatment of Snowden, Stone has become known for his controversial revisions of key moments in American history and raising questions about U.S. government accountability.
Snowden leaked details about the US government's massive surveillance programs and was granted asylum in Russia, after fleeing the United States in 2013. Supporters see him as a whistle-blower who boldly exposed government excess.
The film is based on two books about Snowden written by The Guardian journalist Luke Harding and Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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