Unpublished Book on Solás Presented at Gibara International Film Festival

The book “A Mass for Solás,” by journalist Lorena Massip, was presented today in the lobby of the Cine Jiba. As part of the theoretical program of the twentieth edition of the International Film Festival.

Moreover the work, with a foreword by critic Rafael Grillo, offers an unprecedented portrait of Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solás (1941-2008). Through the eyes of those who shared time with him on set and behind the camera.

Based on 30 interviews with actors and filmmakers, the book reconstructs the human dimension of a creator who marked the history of cinema on the island. And eschews film analysis to delve into anecdotes that reveal the man behind the public figure.

Massip, who conceived the work as his academic graduation project, achieves a vibrant, choral portrait where Solás’s passion. Contradictions, and dedication emerge, far removed from the solemnity of the myth.

In the same space, the festival’s director, Sergio Benvenuto Solás, presented an exhibition of silkscreen posters based on his father’s unpublished work. Complementing the tribute to the festival’s founder.

The Poor Film Festival, which runs until next weekend in this eastern city. It is dedicated to low-budget, high-artistic films, thus maintaining its spirit of reflection and remembrance. With Solás as the central figure of its twentieth edition.

Also the evening brought together filmmakers, critics, and the public, and highlighted the testimonial value of a publication. In Grillo’s opinion, provides a necessary perspective for understanding the complexity of an essential artist in Cuban culture.

By: Daimy Peña Guillén