In 1958, journalist Erik Durschmied journeyed high into Cuba’s Sierra Maestra mountains to interview a then-unknown rebel leader named Fidel Castro. In doing so he obtained some of the most revealing footage of Castro ever filmed, thereby launching his own career in the process.

Durschmied spent weeks in Castro’s guerrilla headquarters, filming fascinating scenes of camp life with the rebels, and conducted the only known English-language interview with Castro just before he came to power. The interview is a unique time capsule, vividly depicting Castro’s early views, his struggle against the dictator Batista, and his goals for the Revolution.

A month after the interview, Castro’s band of fighters rolled into Havana, laying the foundations for the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Visit the official website

Finding Fidel

Festivals and Awards

Official Selection
IDFA 2010
FIDOCS, Chile, 2011
Festival des Films du Mondes, Montreal, 2011
DOCMiami International Film Festival, 2011
Hots Springs Documentary Film Festival, 2011
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, 2012

Reviews

“Intriguing… Engaging… Excellent!”
- The Huffington Post

“An illuminating study of the nation Castro forged, and the promises he did and didn’t keep”
- Toronto Star