Bitter Sugar

Directed by LEON ICHASO filmed in 1996 in Dominican Republic, was born in Habana, Cuba, and moved to the United States at age 14 where he was raised in Miami and New York. In Cuba, his family was very well known in radio, TV, journalism and literature. His father, Dr. Justo Rodriguez Santos, is one of the century’s most respected Latin American poets and Ichaso chose to honor his father’s work by opening BITTER SUGAR with one of his poems. Leon Ichaso has directed films such as SUGAR HILL (1994) and CROSSOVER DREAMS (1985) that helped launch the film careers of Ruben Blades and Elizabeth Pena.

The Cuban-born director’s early work in advertising in New York led him to co-direct the award-winning film THE SUPER (1979), which won the Grand Prize at both the Biarritz and Manheim Film Festivals. The film was also selected into official competition at the Venice, Deauville, and Miami Film Festivals.

Ichaso’s wide-ranging television credits include writing and producing film segments for “Saturday Night Live” (in 1975, 1980, 2000). He wrote and directed many episodes of the hit TV series “Miami Vice” (1985) and also directed the first six episodes of Michael Mann’s critically acclaimed series “Crime Story” (1986). He directed “Ta

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The temptation to get a hold of what should be accessible to every Cuban and realizing that education is not providing a professional opportunity were he lives is making Gustavo comprehend that being the “New Man” and having his own beliefs in the system crumbles moment by moment. And he is seen at a rally where Fidel Castro is delivering another of his notable addresses to the country. The film ends with the note that he was said to be a "traitor to the revolution" and that the US Coast Guard intercepted Yolanda and her mother and are now living in New Jersey.

The story has the romantic trappings of Romeo and Juliet, but the emphasis is on the grim economic situation that makes life in Cuba a hard grind for both revolutionary diehards, and cynics, forcing every one to cow tow to foreign investors. Whether this is true or not is not for me to say, but one thing is clear. Despite their Differences they fall madly in love while the world, as they know it crumbles before them and witness the harsh realities that their families have chosen and must endure, they each try to make an irreversible decision. The concert gets busted and broken up by the Cuban police, but Yolanda and Gustavo have met. The outcast, have a life after all, and it is not bad. Yolanda is beginning to take on to others, since she thinks that her boyfriend is not interested in her any more than he is in his ideals, everything he was brought up to believe. With its surprising finale, Bitter Sugar vividly conveys the spiritual dimension of politics and how the yearning for freedom is the heartbeat of humanity. It has cut potential gains in that system, by not providing chances, and instead, infusing these hopes with lies and deceit. But as the events of the film unfold, Gustavo's bright dreams for his future and believes in the ideals of Fidel Castro’s socialist revolution (which is achieve anything he wants) steadily crumble with false hopes, and we watch, as this upholder of the Revolution becomes a disillusioned would-be assassin of Castro. Gustavo decided to go and marry Yolanda. YOLANDA, a streetwise, fun-loving and free-spirited girl, young dancer whose mother doesn't approve of his politics, sharing little in common, especially their radically opposing political views. Tomás Valdez (Father of Gustavo), Larry Villanueva as Bobby (brother of Gustavo).

Approximate Word count = 1845
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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