filmI don’t invest in film. No, I really don’t. But I have decided to invest in El Medico – A Cubaton Story because it is a story – a true story – worth telling. Plus, the music rocks.

The film is a music documentary from Cuba by the director Daniel Fridell. In short El Medico, a young Cuban doctor and musician, is trying to get a better life for his family. Michel, a European music producer, wants fame and fortune. It is a fight between two minds; One sees the music as an authentic expression of Cuban culture and history, the other sees it as a commercial product to be sold by any means necessary. Caught in this clash of views is also Coquita, the young dancer whose dreams are ruined because Michel thinks she is not sexy enough, and El Medico’s Mother who thinks her son is betraying the revolutionary ideals that she suffered for.

The plot contains several interesting conflicts that are global and worth discussing. The two main themes are:

• Should you follow your dreams or try to live up to your parents expectations? El Medico is a medical doctor – mainly because his mother wanted him to become one; her generation suffered a lot in the revolution so that everyone could go to university. El Medico has to decide between fulfilling his mothers dream or pursuing his own. This is a thought decision millions of young people all over the world struggles with every day.
• As an person with career ambitions, should you stay true to your own beliefs or should you follow the money; How big integrity can you affford? Michel, whose view of the world is one-dimensional and can be summarized in two words: “sex sells”, helps El Medico to get a hit. The song Chupa Chupa makes it into the top-10 list in Spain and the video for Pin Pon has more than 6 millions views on You Tube? But is it worth it? This is a dilemma for all artists but is not limited to that profession; face it: when did you have to compromise with your standards to be loyal to your employer last? I think we all have done it sometime.

Is this a true story? Yes, the director Daniel Fridell has told all the people and their opinions in the people are real. Sometimes the Daniel had to arrange meetings (“I understand that you and your mother disagree on this subject, why don’t you go and talk to her while I am filming”) in order to capture the story but otherwise this strong story is authentic.

It seems like the audience like the film too. It was well received at the documentary film festival DocPoint in Estonia where it featured as the opening film. According to the Estonian producer the screenings (two, and both sold out) was very successful – the audience expressed its satisfaction with the film with long applauds, stomping in the floor and whistling.

It is also going up on the Gothenburg film festival this week but if you are interested in watching it there you are already too late, all three shows are already sold out. You will get more chances to preview it during film festivals (hopefully including Tribecca in New York and Cannnes) later this spring before it is going up on the cinemas after the summer.

Stay tuned to this blog if you want to get more information on how the film is doing…

Yours faithfully,

Gustaf Brandberg