Dr Aleida Guevara at charity screening of ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’
MFFC news
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by Natasha Hickman
on: Monday, 1 November 2004
In October, 200 people filled the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead, London for a charity screening of ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, followed by a Q&A session with Dr Aleida Guevara visiting from Cuba. Since Dr Guevara had edited the diaries for publication everyone was keen to find out more from the ultimate authority.
With the opening question “How did the diaries come to you?” Dr Guevara smiled and warmed to her task: her mother had given her the diaries and notes, telling her that they were the work of a young revolutionary.
As Dr Guevara began editing she found herself growing more attached to the young man, embarrassed by some parts of the diaries, but after a while almost falling in love with the voice and thoughts of the writer. Only later did she find out the young man was her father. “Was the film accurate?” Mostly. Her father, of course, was much more handsome than the actor Gael Garcia, and there was indeed a swim across the Amazon, but it was not at night rather in the afternoon.
“At what point did Che become a revolutionary?” Not during the period of the diaries, but later, in Mexico.Dr Guevara signed copies of the book and the evening continued with mojitos, words from MFFC trustees, Jean MacColl and Ken Gill, and ‘Nueva Trova’ songs from Cuban legend Gerardo Alfonso, joined by Aleida for his anthems Sabanas Blancas (about Havana) and Son Los Suenos Todavia, hymn to the memory of Che Guevara.
The evening raised over £1000 for the Music Fund with special thanks to sponsors Simons Muirhead & Burton .