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The renowned Cuban actor Luis Alberto García denounced the exclusion of the documentary about Pablo Milanés at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, suggesting that the decision was based on political rather than artistic reasons.
In a post on his social media, García expressed regret on Facebook that the documentary “Para vivir: el implacable tiempo de Pablo Milanés”, directed by Fabián Pisani Álvarez, was not included in any sections of the event.
According to the actor, the decision seems to have ideological roots, which would not be new in the Cuban cultural landscape.
"It’s hard to believe that the lack of inclusion of the Cuban documentary was not due to censorship and exclusion for ideological or political reasons," wrote García, who asserted that although he was not part of the selection committee, he has "well-founded suspicions" based on previous experiences of censorship and marginalization in Cuban cinema and theater.
The actor, who shared his message alongside producer Deymi D’Atri, recalled that in Cuba, cultural authorities often act without leaving documentary evidence, yet their decisions reflect a pattern of ideological control.
"I cannot claim that they were cases of monumental censorship because I have no evidence, but after many years as an actor and having personally suffered abuses, dismissals, and prohibitions, I have my suspicions," he noted.
García also mentioned that the documentary about Pablo Milanés "destroys the filthy fallacy" that the cultural managers of the regime have promoted against the singer-songwriter, whom they label as a "traitor" for openly criticizing the Cuban system.
"In a country where everything is known, they have said it. This is how they think of an enormous Cuban, bigger than all of them put together," he expressed.
The interpreter recalled that the documentary addresses uncomfortable episodes for the official narrative, such as the UMAP, racism, censorship against the Pablo Milanés Foundation, and the internal conflicts during his last concert at the Ciudad Deportiva.
"I suspect that precisely because the documentary makes it clear that Pablo was an exceptional patriot, it did not seem appropriate to show it to the public," he said.
The actor also criticized the institutional habit of hiding problems under silence: “What a habit it is to sweep the dirt and hide it under the couch!”
“What shines with its own light cannot be extinguished. Its brightness can reach the darkness”, he emphasized.
For García, cultural censorship is "the worst blackout," a dystopia that only delays the inevitable: that the Cuban public has access, through any means, to works and documentaries that the authorities aim to silence.
"sooner or later, those residing in this archipelago will be able to enjoy the documentary by whatever means," he assured.
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