Zombie Movie at Havana Film Festival Spoofs Cuba's Ruling Regime

Online editions of the Miami Herald report that Juan de los Muertos (Juan of the Dead), a new film debuting at the Havana Film Festival, does more than simply rehash zombie themes. The film's more likely theme is Cuba's ruling regime and the island's still-repressed political environment. According to Fabiola Santiago, who noted the episode in a Herald opinion column, the film comes across as "crude and bloody" and essentially artless. However, the writer makes the fair point that political statements, especially veiled references to current rulers, may be more effective when used as blunt instruments rather than surgical tools.

For another perspective on the film, read this Associated Press story that appeared in the December 9th Washington Post. It offers more and different details than the Herald's opinion piece. Meanwhile, a very brief Wikipedia link includes a list of all first-prize Havana Film Festival winners.