BYE BYE HAVANA
9 p.m. October 16, 2005. 20th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival:
Cinema Paradiso, a converted Mission-style church, is photogenic, stylish inside and out. Full house, strong applause by a good crowd who loved the film:

"A fascinatingly lyrical and kaleidoscopic look at life at street level in beautiful but impoverished Havana, ranging from suffering to joy to politics to sex
with poetic cinematography, revealing interviews, historical montages and pop culture artifacts -- plus great music and dance sequences.
An unconventional and valuable document." -- Bill Wisser.

"I haven't seen anything like this before . . . It was the way he portrayed real people.
He got people to really talk to him." -- Ellen Kendrick.

"Very sad, very beautiful and very real at the same time" -- Elisa Menendez

"We've been in Havana and the movie is like walking there . . .
I loved the subliminal features, like the soldier popping up" -- Charles Campi

"Wow! I am showing the film again and received encore requests...best ever screening in that time slot" -- Gregory von Hausch, Festival director

Photos by Bill Wisser