Protest the Human Rights Watch Film Festival and the Film Society of Lincoln Center for their bigoted refusal to show "Marcadas por el Paraiso" (1998)  a real human rights documentary by filmmaker Mari Rodriguez Ichaso.

This documentary details the struggle of women during 40 years of Castro communist repression on the island of Cuba. The Castro sympathetic directors of the "human rights film festival" rejected this international critically acclaimed film, even though it has received ovations in Washington, Europe and beyond. We are confidant that "Marcadas por el Paraiso" will go on to show an ignorant and indifferent world what communist Cuba is really about.

It has become apparent to us in the Cuban pro democracy movement, that the "artistic" left is very afraid that any negative information on the revolution and Fidel Castro will taint the myths (Like free education and medicine, social justice, communism with a human face, equality and egalitarianism.) they have worked so hard to brainwash an unenlightened world with.

Some of the founding goals of the Cuban American Democracy Project – NYC are:
 

To expose, monitor, and protest the activities carried out by supporters of Castro in the New York City area and beyond. CADP although a small voice, is New York City's own alternative to the liars, apologists, and collaborators who amplify the Cuban revolution's outdated and morally bankrupt message.

 

To use art and writing as a form of protest and activism against Castro's dictatorship. The so-called "progressive" supporters of Fidel Castro’s dictatorship try to make themselves appear as artists, and creative people and Cuban Americans as reactionary. Not true! The exiled community in America possesses a plethora of intellectuals, professionals, engineers, architects, artists, teachers, musicians and others interested in improving the world we live in.

 

New York Human Rights Film Festival Rejects Cuban Film

By Wilfredo Cancio Isla, El Nuevo Herald
Translated from Spanish.

A documentary which details the tragedy of the Cuban woman during the 40 years of communist revolution has become a topic of controversy because of its exclusion from the International film festival of human rights which is taking place in New York City.

"Marcadas por el Paraiso" (1998) a work by the Cuban American filmmaker Mari Rodriguez Ichaso, did not receive approval from the organizers of the film festival. The film festival, which will be running till June 24th, will be screening more then 30 films from around the world.

Ms. Rodriguez Ichaso is convinced that the selection committee for the film festival deliberaty rejected the only film related to the Cuban cause. Ms. Rodriguez Ichaso affirms that she has become the victim of a political conspiracy.

"Instead of focusing its attention on human rights, this festival has become one governed by leftist intellectuals, that identify themselves with the ideas of the Castro regime." Declared the 51-year-old filmmaker.

Ms. Rodriguez Ichaso who fled Cuba in 1967, went on to say that the orientation of the festival has changed decisively since 1994 when it moved to "The Film Society of Lincoln Center" an institution which demonstrated on many occasions its complacency with Castroism.

The co director of the festival, Jon Andersen stated to the Nuevo Herald on Wednsday that the sample of the film was submitted after they evaluated more then 500 films, and the arguments of the filmmaker qualified as inconsistent.

"We strictly evaluated the artistic quality of the films; this has been the only criteria which has ever existed", added Andersen. "The subject matter is interesting, but the film is confusing, and it lacks elements which justify the presence of so much testimonials".

The film with a running time of about one hour and twenty minutes, features interviews with the famous Cuban singer Celia Cruz, the poet Maria Elena Cruz Valera, the novelist Zoe Valdes, and with Alina Fernandez Revuelta, the "rebel" daughter of dictator Fidel Castro. The film starts with images of the tragedy on "Dog Key" a desolate rock in the Bahamas island chain where two little Cuban girls where stranded and died in 1997.

" The accusations (Of Rodriquez Ichaso) are absurd" mainfested Bruni Burres, director of the festival. "Our selections are not chosen to represent countries".

"Marcadas por el Parasiso" was screened last month at the Human rights film festival in Prague in the Czech Republic, and it is being shown commercially today at the Absinthe House Cinematheque in Coral Gables, Miami Florida.

Festival de cine en NY rechaza filme cubano

WILFREDO CANCIO ISLA
El Nuevo Herald

Un documental que aborda la tragedia de las mujeres cubanas durante 40 años
de revolución se ha convertido en eje de controversias tras ser excluido
del Festival Cinematográfico Internacional de Derechos Humanos, que se
celebra en Nueva York.

Marcadas por el paraíso (1998), de la realizadora cubanoamericana Mari
Rodríguez Ichaso, no recibió el aval de los organizadores del evento, que
durará hasta el 24 de junio con la participación de más de 30 películas de
todo el mundo.

Rodríguez Ichaso considera inexplicable que el comité de selección haya
rechazado la única película relacionada con el caso cubano, y afirma que ha
sido víctima de una maniobra política.

``En lugar de centrar su atención en los derechos humanos, éste es cada vez
más un festival gobernado por intelectuales de izquierda trasnochados que
se identifican con las posiciones del régimen cubano'', declaró la cineasta,
 de 51 años.

Rodríguez Ichaso, que abandonó la isla en 1967, dijo que la orientación del
festival cambió decisivamente desde 1994, cuando se vinculó a The Film
Society of Lincoln Center, agrupación que, según ella, ha mostrado en
reiteradas ocasiones su complacencia con el castrismo.

El subdirector del festival, Jon Andersen, explicó el jueves a El Nuevo
Herald que la muestra había sido integrada tras evaluar más de 500 filmes,
y calificó de inconsistentes los argumentos de la cineasta.

``Se valoró estrictamente la calidad artística de las obras; ése es el
único criterio que ha existido'', indicó Andersen. ``El tema es interesante,
 pero la película es confusa, faltan elementos que justifiquen la presencia
de tantas testimoniantes''.

Marcadas por el Paraíso, con una duración de una hora y 20 minutos, incluye
entrevistas con la cantante Celia Cruz, la poeta María Elena Cruz Varela,
la novelista Zoe Valdés y con Alina Fernández Revuelta, la hija rebelde del
gobernante Fidel Castro. La película se inicia con imágenes de la tragedia
de Cayo Perro, el desolado islote de Bahamas donde murieron y fueron
enterradas dos niñas pequeñas en 1997.

``Las acusaciones [de Rodríguez Ichaso] son absurdas'', manifestó Bruni
Burres, directora del festival. ``Nuestra selección no escoge las películas
en representación de países'.

Marcadas por el Paraíso fue exhibida a finales de mayo en el Festival de
Derechos Humanos de Praga, y se estrena comercialmente hoy en el Absinthe
House Cinematheque de Coral Gables.

Les ruego que nos ayuden y a traves de su excelente site, pasen la noticia de
que ya estan a la venta los videos del documental "Marcadas por el  Paraiso"
y del film "Bitter Sugar" (Azucar Amarga).

Soy la directora de "Marcadas por el Paraiso" y productora de "Bitter Sugar"
y con la venta de los videos estamos tratando de recuperar nuestra inversion
para poder seguir haciendo cine independiente que exponga la verdad de lo que
ocurre en nuestra patria.

Ambos videos estan a la venta a $25.00 cada uno mas $3.00 shipping --Total 28
dolares cada uno--y pueden obtenerse enviando cheque o money order a nombre
de:  In Spanish Inc. --315 West 57 St. 20C- New York, NY 10019-

"Marcadas por el Paraiso" --la primera voz que tienen las mujeres cubanas
disidentes en el cine documental-- no solo fue exhibido en el Festival de
Cine de Miami, sino en el Capitolio de los Estados Unidos ante el Congreso y
el 31 de Mayo esta siendo exhibido en el Festival de Cine de Derechos Humanos
en Praga.

Ojala puedan ayudarnos

Muchas gracias,

Mari Rodriguez Ichaso