The Padilla Affair

(El Caso Padilla)
Pavel Giroud | Documentary

2022 | 78 minutes | Spain, Cuba

A startling documentary about the poet Heberto Padilla that opens a window into the past and offers insights into Cuba’s current crisis.

History Fascism + Repression Human Rights Activism Caribbean Studies Literature Culture + Identity Political Science International Relations
Synopsis

In the spring of 1971 in Havana, poet Heberto Padilla is released from prison and attends a Cuban writers’ guild meeting. During the gathering, he delivers what he describes as a “heartfelt self-criticism,” admitting to being a counterrevolutionary agent and accusing many colleagues, including his wife, of the same offense.

A month earlier, Padilla’s arrest for endangering the security of the Cuban state had sparked a global response from the intellectual community. Supporters, who had previously sympathized with Fidel Castro, wrote a letter demanding the poet’s freedom. Padilla’s only “sin” was expressing dissent and criticism through his poetry.

The Padilla Affair, punctuated by interventions from Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jorge Edwards, Carlos Fuentes, and Fidel Castro, stands as an astonishing documentary. It provides a window into exploring facets of Cuba’s history that continue to resonate in the present.

Reviews

“The filmmaker manages to turn the viewer into a detective and editor of the film. Has Heberto Padilla been brainwashed? Pure manipulation? Survival? Real change of heart? The Padilla Affair refuses to remain silent in the face of the injustices of any regime disrespectful of true democracy and the necessary freedom of creation. Pure and raw cinema depicting reality.” — Carlos Loureda, Fotogramas

“The Padilla Affair is beautiful and chilling, and as historical as it is contemporary. It may well be the most original documentary of the year.” — Ruby Rich, Film Quarterly

“A fascinating and grotesque political theater, as a histrionic poet, hitting key beats – his selfishness, smugness and vanity – proves incapable of avoiding contradictions while calling on his dissident friends, including his own wife, writer Belka Cuza Malé, to come to the table and recant with him.” — John Hopewell, Variety

“The unedited footage of Padilla’s self-criticism— it is truly horrifying. Giroud further supplements Padilla’s punishing speech with archival news and interview footage that adds relevant context, drawn straight from other primary sources. Very highly recommended.” — J.B. Spins

“A luminous and at the same time disturbing portrait, exposing one of the darkest episodes in exercising totalitarianism.” — Alejandro Alemán, El Universal

“Director Pavel Giroud reconstructs and uncovers, with sharp lucidity, one of the worst totalitarian charades in the intellectual history of our continent. ” — Ernesto Diezmartinez, Letras Libres

“A very harsh and disturbing portrait of fear.” — Elsa Fernández Santos, El Pais

Citation
Main credits

Giroud, Pavel (film director)
Giroud, Pavel (screenwriter)
Rodríguez, Lia (film producer)
Padilla, Heberto (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Editing, Pavel Giroud; music, Pablo Cervantes.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
El caso Padilla,The Padilla Affair,documentary,Cuba,Pavel Giroud,Heberto Padilla,Gabriel García Márquez,Julio Cortázar,Mario Vargas Llosa,Jean-Paul Sartre,Jorge Edwards,Carlos Fuentes,Fidel Castro,freedom of speech,revolution,literature,writer,lack of freedom of expression,freedom of expression,padill affair,politics,comunism,repression,archives,archives footage,footage,history,history,context,narrative,past,chronicle,lore,annals,historic,personal history,archive,record,saga,biography,memoir,study,communications,journalism,news,information,media,new media,newspaper,newspaper,blogs,news site,news app,pulling string,gathering string,reporting,fourth estate,news media,journalists,journalist,reporters,reporter,authority,authoritarianism,dictatorship,military regime,military government,fascism,repression,oppression,political oppression,political repression,far right,far right wing,modern fascism,human rights,public rights,equal rights,freedom of expression,basic human rights,united nations,activism,human rights activism,human rights council,human rights commission,universal human rights,universal rights,activism,activist,digital activism,advocacy,advocate,involvement,militancy,militant,logrolling,striking,boycotting,championing,champion,effecting change,engagement,supporter,protest,protester,demonstrator,organizing,labor organizing,revolution,revolutionary,community organizing,effecting change,striking,labor strike,labor organizing,caribbean studies,the caribbean,caribeean sea,caribbean island,antigua and barbuda,bahamas,barbados,cuba,dominica,dominican republic,grenada,haiti,jamaica,saint kitts and nevis,st lucia,st vincent and the grenadines,and trinidad and tobago,anguilla,aruba,british virgin islands,caribbean netherlands,bonaire,sint eustatius,saba,cayman islands,curaçao,guadeloupe,martinique,montserrat,puerto rico,saint barthélemy,saint martin/sint maarten,turks and caicos islands,us virgin islands,literature,poetry,writing,fiction,books,adaptations,writing,writers,authors,authorship,novels,novellas,short fiction,memoir,biography,autobiography,literati,books,written word,book adaptations,poetry adaptations,english literature,spanish literature,books in translation,books adapted to film,cinematic adaptation,cinema rights,film rights,literary adaptation,literary imagery,literary motif,culture,identity,identity politics,culture wars,left wing,right wing,intersectionality,identity groups,civilization,literacy,humanism,cancel culture,online culture,cultural revolution,cultural diffusion,culture shock,popular culture,pop culture,material culture,cultural capital,cultural assimilation ,political science,micropolitics,macropolitics,political theory,political education,political movements,political thinking,political criticism,poly sci,polysci,political sci,political sciences,political history,history of politics,political systems,international relations,global relations,global studies,international studies,international affairs,intercontinental relations,intercontinental studies,foreign studies,foreign relations,national relations,national studies,cross-continental studies,cross-continental relations; "The Padilla Affair"; Pragda Films
Clips
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Festivals

Telluride Film Festival; San Sebastian International Film Festival Film Festival; International Film Festival Panama, Miami International Film Festival - Documentary Achievement Award; It's All True Doc Film Festival; BAFICI Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema; Jeonju International Film Festival, Costa Rica International Film Festival - Best Feature of Central America and the Caribbeans; Filmfest München; Lima International Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Pavel Giroud

NATIONALITY: Spain, Cuba

YEAR: 2022

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish; English; French; Other languages; Russian

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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