Cuban Films Featuring Jorge Perugorría at the Historic Asolo Theater
Sarasota, FL- Sept. 10, 2007 - A selection of four films starring acclaimed Cuban actor Jorge Perugorría will be shown at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Historic Asolo Theater, 7 p.m., Oct. 8, 9, 11, and 12, 2007.
The films are presented by the Havana Film Festival New York, which screens cutting edge films by Cuban, Latin, and South American filmmakers. This year’s festival paid tribute to Perugorría by presenting a retrospective of his films.
The films are part of a series of programs presented in conjunction with the exhibition Cuba Avant Garde: Contemporary Artfrom the Farber Collection on display Oct. 6 - Dec. 30, 2007 in the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing at the Ringling Museum of Art.
Born in 1965 in Cuba, Perugorría spent the first twenty years of his career in theater before starring in the Oscar-nominated Strawberry and Chocolate (1994). Perugorría has starred in more than thirty films in addition to writing, producing, and directing.
The films featured in this series are:
Monday, October 8, 2007, 7 p.m.
Vertical Love, by Arturo Soto
A young couple, guided by desire, search for a place to make love and do so vertically on an elevator. In love, they build a small house on the shore of the Almendares River. Spain/Cuba: 1998/100 minutes.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 7 p.m.
Strawberry and Chocolate, by Senel Paz
Diego, a cultivated- but highly skeptical- gay man, falls in love with a heterosexual communist who is filled with prejudices and doctrinaire ideas. A story of friendship and love that overcomes incomprehension and tolerance. Cuba: 1994/108 minutes
Thursday, October 11, 2007, 7 p.m.
Things I Left in Havana, by Manuel Guiterrez Aragón
Three young sisters leave Cuba in search of the good life in Spain. Lacking work permits, their Aunt Maria exploits them in her sweatshop and plans to marry them off to suit her own interests. Spain/Cuba: 1997/110 minutes
Friday, October 12, 2007, 7 p.m.
Virgin Rose, by Manuel Guiterrez Aragón
A young sailor with dreams of living in the U.S. works for Simón, a seductive criminal who transports human cargo to New York in his old boat. When the sailor falls in love with a woman on the boat and they decide to leave, Simón attempts to stop them. Spain/Cuba: 100 minutes.
All films are in Spanish with English subtitles and begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 per film or $24 for the series of all four films. To purchase tickets contact the Historic Asolo Theater Box Office at 941-360-7399. For more information, visit www.ringling.org.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is the largest museum/university complex in the nation. It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling, educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Cà d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museum and the Tibbals Learning Center; the Historic Asolo Theater; and historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.
Havana Film Festival New York is a project of American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, a non-profit organization building cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba through programs in the arts. Carole Rosenberg is President of the Foundation, Chairperson and Director of the Festival. Visit www.hffny.com for more information.
# # #