Bitter Sugar essays

Bitter Sugar essays Directed by LEON ICHASO filmed in 1996 in Dominican Republic, was born in Habana, Cuba, and moved to the United States at age 14 where he was raised in Miami and New York. In Cuba, his family was very well known in radio, TV, journalism and literature. His father, Dr. Justo Rodriguez Santos, is one of the centurys most respected Latin American poets and Ichaso chose to honor his fathers work by opening BITTER SUGAR with one of his poems. Leon Ichaso has directed films such as SUGAR HILL (1994) and CROSSOVER DREAMS (1985) that helped launch the film careers of Ruben Blades and Elizabeth Pena. The Cuban-born directors early work in advertising in New York led him to co-direct the award-winning film THE SUPER (1979), which won the Grand Prize at both the Biarritz and Manheim Film Festivals. The film was also selected into official competition at the Venice, Deauville, and Miami Film Festivals. Ichasos wide-ranging television credits include writing and producing film segments for Saturday Night Live (in 1975, 1980, 2000). He wrote and directed many episodes of the hit TV series Miami Vice (1985) and also directed the first six episodes of Michael Manns critically acclaimed series Crime Story (1986). He directed Table at Ciros for the Great Performances series on PBS (1987); The Fear Inside for Showtime, which earn him an Ace nomination for Best Director; and the highly praised adaptation of Charles Fullers Pulitzer Prize winner Zooman, which kicked-off Showtimes Anti-Violence Week in 1995. The main actors and actresses are: Ren Lavan as Gustavo Valdez, Mayte Villn as Yolanda, Miguel Gutirrez as Dr. Toms Valdez (Father of Gustavo), Larry Villanueva as Bobby (brother of Gustavo). Bitter Sugar presents a fascinating portrait of contemporary Cuba as a country of shatter...