Summary:
Episodic look at the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), from his childhood in Oriente province to his death in New York City. He joins Castro's rebels. By 1964, he is in Havana. He meets the wealthy Pepe, an early lover; a love-hate relationship lasts for years. Openly gay behavior is a way to spite the government. His writing and homosexuality get him into trouble: he spends two years in prison, writing letters for other inmates and smuggling out a novel. He befriends Lázaro Gomes Garriles, with whom he lives stateless and in poverty in Manhattan after leaving Cuba in the Mariel boat-lift. When asked why he writes, he replies cheerfully, "Revenge."
| Runtime: | 133 min |
|---|---|
| Rating: | Rated R for strong sexual content, some language and brief violence. |
| Production: | Grandview Pictures |
| Genres: | Biography, Drama |
| Country: | USA |
| Languages: | English, French, Spanish, Russian |
| Home Release Date: | May 22, 2001 |
| Director | Credit |
|---|---|
| Julian Schnabel | Director |
| Writer | Credit |
|---|---|
| Cunningham O'Keefe | Written By |
| Jana Bokova | Documentary "Havana" |
| Julian Schnabel | Written By |
| Lázaro Gómez Carriles | Written By |
| Reynaldo Arenas | Memoir "Before Night Falls" |
| Cast | Credit |
|---|---|
| Aquiles Benites | Translator |
| Carmen Beato | Teacher |
| Cy Schnabel | Smallest School Child |
| Diego Luna | Carlos |
| Eva Piaskowska | Pretty Blonde Student |
| Giovanni Florido | Young Reinaldo |
| Jerzy Skolimowski | Professor |
| Lia Chapman | Lolin |
| Loló Navarro | Reinaldo's Grandmother |
| Olatz López Garmendia | Reinaldo's Mother |
| Olmo Schnabel | Smallest School Child |
| Pedro Armendáriz Jr. | Reinaldo's Grandfather |
| Sean Penn | Cuco Sanchez |
| Sebastián Silva | Reinaldo's Father |
| Vito Maria Schnabel | Teenage Reinaldo |
| Producer | Credit |
|---|---|
| Jon Kilik | Producer |
| Julian Schnabel | Executive Producer |
| Matthias Ehrenberg | Associate Producer |
| Olatz López Garmendia | Executive Producer |
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