‘She Was Ahead of Her Time’: Keshet’s ‘Cuba Libre’ Chronicles One Woman’s Revolution
22.02.2023 - 15:03
/ variety.com
Marta Balaga Beauty queen, rebellious daughter of the head of Portugal’s secret service, housewife fascinated by Che Guevara, fighter – “Annie” Silva Pais was many, many things. Now, she is also the subject of Portuguese period drama “Cuba Libre.” “I have been thinking about this story for 20 years,” admits creator Henrique Oliveira ahead of its bow at Berlinale’s Series Market Selects. “That’s when I first read an article about her in [a local newspaper] Expresso. I fell in love right away. This woman was ahead of her time.” While Oliveira, who also directs, had to wait decades to realize his dream, it actually worked out for the best, he claims.
“In the past few years, so many things have changed, especially when it comes to streaming. The TV market is completely different now. I had all this time to mature, to [figure out how to] pay tribute to this woman in the best possible way,” he says. “It’s the project of my life. At least for now.” Produced by Hop! Films and distributed by Keshet International, “Cuba Libre” clocks in at six hour-long episodes. Starting in 1958, it follows Annie through her marriage to a Swiss diplomat a few years later, their move to Cuba and her budding interest in the revolution, which changes her forever. “We take it all the way into the 1990s,” says Oliveira, who always intended to tell a “complete” story of Annie’s life. Also praising his lead, newcomer Beatriz Godhino. “I got very, very lucky, because we found a perfect actress for the role.” A role that sees Godhino go from a naïve girl “in a hurry to start living” to a self-assured woman and finally a proper revolutionary, in love with Che Guevara himself. “It was this sort of platonic love,” says Oliveira. “All these
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