Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938 in Camagüey, Cuba - July 23, 2003 in Miami, Florida) was a
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n experimental filmmaker and painter.
Guillén was an accomplished filmmaker. He made a total of 18 documentaries (six are now lost), 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
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' 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 a s ...
" as
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
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 psychiatry, psychiatric treatment that causes a generalized seizure by passing electrical current through the brain. ECT is often used as an intervention for mental disorders when other treatments are inadequ ...
, never under sedation.
As painter, he taught
René Portocarrero
René Portocarrero (born Havana, 24 February 1912; died Havana, 7 April 1985) was a Cuban artist recognised internationally for his achievements.
History
Portocarrero began his artistic education at the San Alejandro academy, but left early and ...
and
Victor Miquel Moreno Piñeiro
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
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 is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. 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 (English: the Christopher Columbus Cemetery), 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 S ...
in Cuba. His uncle was Afro-Cuban poet
Nicolás Guillén
Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista (10 July 1902 – 16 July 1989) was a Cuban poet, journalist and political activist. 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).
In 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.
He was the nephew of
Nicolas Guillen.
Filmography
* ''Homenaje a Picasso'' (1962) (lost)
* ''Congos reales'' (1962) (lost)
* ''Patio arenero'' (1962) (lost)
* ''El morro'' (1963) (lost)
* ''En un barrio viejo'' (In an Old Neighborhood) (1963)
* ''Un festival'' (1963)
* ''Ociel del Toa'' (1965)
* ''Los del baile'' (Those of the Dance) (1965)
* ''Rita Montaner'' (1965) (lost)
* ''Retornar a Baracoa'' (To Return to Baracoa) (1966)
* ''Reportaje'' (1966)
* ''Coffea arábiga'' (1968)
* ''Expo Maquinaria Pabellón Cuba'' (1969) (lost)
* ''Desde la Habana, 1969'' (1971)
* ''Taller de Línea y 18'' (1971)
* ''Un reportaje sobre el Puerto Pesquero'' (1972)
* ''Nosotros en el Cuyaguateje'' (1972)
* ''Para construir una casa'' (1972)
References
External links
*
Cuban documentary film directors
1938 births
2003 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Florida
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