Ricardo, Miriam y Fidel

Christian Frei

Like thousands of other Cubans, Miriam Martinez and her family would like to emigrate. However, as the daughter of a man who made a substantial contribution to the success of the Cuban revolution, it is not an easy decision for her to make. Almost 40 years ago her father had given up his job as a radio journalist in Havana and fled to the Sierra Maestra to join the rebellious forces of Fidel Castro. Under the leadership of Che Guevara, he had founded “Rebel Radio”, whose nightly broadcasts proved to be one of the most effective ways of spreading the ideas of the revolution. Today, the golden promise of that break with the past has long since faded away. Ricardo's dream has not been fulfilled. And for Miriam, there is no turning back. She wants a new life, even though she knows full well that her departure for the “free world” has very little to do with the ideals of her youth.

About Ricardo and Miriam - Father and Daughter

Ricardo Martínez and the time of Radio Rebelde Miriam Martínez and the time of Radio Martí

In 1955 Miriam Martínez is born in Havana, during the time of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. While the Cuban people is being brutally oppressed, every evening brings plane loads of rich Americans from Miami to the «Tropicana» night-club and to the brothels of Havana. Miriam's father Ricardo is only 19 years old when she is born. He works for a small private radio station in the capital. Miriam is not quite two years old when he quits his well-paid job from one day to the next in order to go off and join Fidel Castro's rebels in the Sierra Maestra.

Eighteen months later Ricardo returns to Havana. His Radio Rebelde has contributed significantly to the triumph of the revolution.

"In the evening hours the whole family gathers round the radio, turning it on only so low that you can still hear the ticking of a clock, for there are spies everywhere. At first all they hear is static, but then come the words they have all been waiting for: "This is Radio Rebelde." Everyone listens with rapt attention and draws up even closer so as not to miss a single word." Ricardo Martínez in his book "La historia de Radio Rebelde".

In the 1960's Ricardo, in his capacity as a government official, travels to fellow communist countries, to East Berlin and Prague. Miriam sees very little of her father during this time, which leads her to admire, indeed idolize him all the more. Miriam joins the communist youth organisation "Pioneers".

By the early 1970's Cuba's agricultural reform has been completed. Illiteracy has been wiped out, there are hospitals for everyone. Miriam is now fifteen years old. The first arguments with her father arise.

Miriam asks Ricardo why the Beatles and other Western rock music are banned in Cuba. Her father's answer fails to satisfy her. Ricardo is appointed editor-in-chief of the journal "Moncada", the official organ of the Ministry of the Interior.

In 1980 more than 10,000 Cuban men and women occupy the Peruvian embassy in Havana. They demand to leave Cuba. Fidel Castro eventually allows everyone to go who wants to. From the port of Mariel 120,000 people leave Cuba and emigrate to the United States. That same year Miriam finishes her studies and begins to teach at the school of visual arts. She is happily married to Augusto, and they have two children: a son, Arian, and a daughter, Ayleen. But Miriam and Augusto also have plans to emigrate. The school learns of this.

The school board organizes an act of «repudio» - of «exclusion» - outside Miriam's house, and Miriam's own students are forced to participate. Miriam is informed that she is no longer permitted to work as a teacher.

This experience will affect Miriam for the rest of her life. Miriam, who had never felt like a dissident and who had always acknowledged many of the revolution's achievements, has now been made a pariah. Having previously only toyed with the idea of emigration, Miriam is now eager to leave. Miriam and Augusto urgently apply to relatives in Miami to help them obtain visas for the United States.

But at the same time Miriam is afraid of being exiled. She is suffering from the dilemma of the leftist opposition within a so-ca lied leftist state. She certainly does not want Cuba to become a bordello for Yankees again. What she wants is democracy and freedom of speech. She is dreaming of a third option, knowing full well that the very proximity of Cuba to the United 5.tates makes it impossible.

In 1992 the Swiss writer and filmmaker Christian Frei first approaches the family. The idea of a film project makes both Miriam and Ricardo afraid that their barely healed scars might be reopened.

At first neither of them can imagine owning up to their emotions and their political differences in front of a camera. People in Cuba tend either to avoid such delicate issues entirely or to talk about them obliquely. Many Cuban films thrive on this type of oblique allusion, to enormous satirical effect.

It takes three years and Fidel Castro's personal approval before shooting on Ricardo, Miriam y Fidel can finally begin in April 1995.

Christian Frei

Born in 1959 in Schönenwerd. Studied Visual Media at the Department of Journalism and Communication at Fribourg University. Since 1984 independent filmmaker and producer. Works regularly for German Swiss Broadcasting Service (SF DRS). 2002 Academy Award Nomination Best Documentary Feature for “War Photographer”.

2009 SPACE TOURISTS
2005 THE GIANT BUDDHAS
2001 WAR PHOTOGRAPHER
2000 BOLLYWOOD IM ALPENRAUSCH - INDISCHE FILMEMACHER EROBERN DIE SCHWEIZ
1998 KLUGE KÖPFE
1997 RICARDO, MIRIAM Y FIDEL
1984 DER RADWECHSEL
1982 FORTFAHREN
1981 DIE STELLVERTRETERIN

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Comments

This documentary brought back memories, as another of the so called gusanos (worms) that Fidel nicknamed us. I can understand Miriam and feel bad towards her, but I also see her father as an individual that lives in a drem land as he expects the "revolution" to continue to work. Something that has not happened for over 30 years. Yes, free education is superb, but at what cost!? An also interesting how Fidel states that the US is now creating a war on the airwaves, the very thing that he was superb at. Most of all I feel for those that still live in the island, as they do not know what the truth is, as they only hear and read everything that is published by the "state." How sad that the people living there still believe, or maybe they just hope for change.
Keywords: Viboreno
Ricardo 2008-07-07

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