Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938 in Camagüey, Cuba - July 23, 2003 in Miami, Florida) was a
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n experimental filmmaker and painter.
Guillén was an accomplished filmmaker. He made a total of 13 documentaries, although they were heavily censored and prevented from being part of the Cuban film industry. In 1964, he was given a special award at the
Krakow Film Festival for his film ''En un barrio viejo''. In 1968, his documentary ''Coffea Arabiga'' featured the
Beatles' song "
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the ...
" as
Fidel Castro appeared on screen. That same year, Guillén was accused of plotting to assassinate Castro. The Cuban government interrogated him for six months in Villa Marista. From 1970 to 1989, he was repeatedly jailed and institutionalized. He received at least eight treatments of
electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...
, never under sedation.
As painter, he taught
René Portocarrero and
Victor Miquel Moreno Piñeiro in painting.
[Victor Moreno -Ein kubanischer Maler, ]
In 1989, he was able to leave Cuba and lived the rest of his life in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. He died of cancer at Mercy Hospital in Miami. After his death, his widow had his body flown from Miami and entombed in
Colon Cemetery, Havana
El Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, also called La Necrópolis de Cristóbal Colón, was founded in 1876 in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana, Cuba to replace the Espada Cemetery in the Barrio de San Lázaro. Named for Christopher Columbus, ...
in Cuba. His uncle was Afro-Cuban poet
Nicolás Guillén
Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista (10 July 1902 – 17 July 1989) was a Cuban poet, journalist, political activist, and writer. He is best remembered as the national poet of Cuba. . Filmmakers Victor R. Jiménez Sosa, and Jorge Egusquiza produced a biographical documentary of Nicolás Guillén Landrián in his own words, ''Nicolás: the end but not the end'', by Coincident Productions (2005).
On 2013 J. Manuel L. Herrera directed "Remembering Nicolasito", and wrote Nicolas Guillen Landrian in 3D. This book was presented on the 30th Miami Book Fair International.
In 2014 Raydel Araoz and Julio Ramos directed "Retornar a La Habana con Guillén Landrián", a 35 min. documentary essay based on Ramos´extensive interview with Gretel Alfonso, Guillén Landrián's widow.
References
External links
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Cuban documentary filmmakers
Cuban film directors
1938 births
2003 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Florida
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