The METRO KINO Viennese movie-theater was the location for a luxurious night (6 April) to open the retrospective of the outstanding Cuban filmmaker´s work, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea with the presence of the Cuban actress and filmmaker, Mirtha Ibarra, Titón´s wife.
As a matter of fact, that was the title of the exhibited Cuban film. It was lovely made by Mirta in 2007. Memoirs and documentary exhibitions regarding to the essential work of one of the founders of the Cuban Film Institute of Arts and Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC by its Spanish initials) are gathered. He was the creator of classical Cuban film works like Memorias del Subdesarrollo (Memoirs of the Underdevelopment), La última Cena (The Last Dinner), Los Sobrevivientes (The Survivors), Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate) among some others.
Those films are part of the retrospective´s schedule which will be taking place until 20 April. It has been organized by the Austrian Film Archives in cooperation with Papaya Media Association, the Embassy of Cuba in Austria, the Austria-Cuba Friendship Association, Innsbruck Cinematograph, and Kinoki.
In the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the curator of the retrospective, Mr. Helmut Pflügl referred to Alea´s work and to the retrospective as a deserved tribute after 20 years of the Cuban filmmaker´s passing. Once the screening had finished, Mirtha Ibarra talked to the audience that applauded her work and expressed its admiration for Titón´s life and work.
In the retrospective´s inauguration, the Cuban artists: Amalia Alonso (who played some pieces of Fresa y Chocolate soundtracks on the piano) Miguel Leonardo García, Nelson Williams Herrera, Norberto Vladimir Fuentes (musicians), and Luisón de Armas (singer) enlivened the reception offered by the Embassy of Cuba. The ambassador, Mr. Juan Antonio Fernández Palacios and the personnel of the Permanent Mission were present there.
It was a tribute night to one of the great artists of the Cuban cinema and culture of all times.
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(Embacuba Austria / Prensa Latina)