The director of the Cuban Cinematheque, Luciano Castillo reported this Tuesday, through a press release published on the official site of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (Icaic), the death in Havana of Cuban filmmaker Enrique Pineda Barnet, author of valuable film productions.
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“A few hours ago, a heart that shook us many times stopped beating: that of the filmmaker Enrique Pineda Barnet. He broke in, characterized as a black boy from the Cuban comic theater, on the stage of the Riviera theater in Havana in 1938 when he was only five years old, ”said the film critic.
Luciano Castillo stressed that Pineda Barnet “proud of being the first volunteer teacher to march to the Sierra Maestra, joined the ICAIC as a scriptwriter in 1962 of the didactic series Enciclopedia Popular, for which he made notes on two notorious theatrical premieres: Cold air, by Virgilio Piñera and Fuenteovejuna, by Lope de Vega “.
“Let us applaud this tireless creator, who faced adversity with talent and firmness, and did not hesitate to critically approach taboo subjects, winner of the 2006 National Film Award and Honorary Choir at the Havana Festival a decade later, in the one that still resonates with any number of the rich musical repertoire chosen for La bella del Alhambra, that declaration of love for Cuba ”, wrote Luciano Castillo as a tribute to the Cuban filmmaker.
At the same time, the president of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, Luís Morlote expressed his condolences for the “sad news of the death of one of the greats of Cuban cinema.”
We are very sorry for the departure of Enrique Pineda Barnet. He was, without a doubt, an extraordinary human being, endowed with a special sensitivity. His cinema collects fundamental moments of who we are. Let your family and friends get our hug. https://t.co/3qo9dlTbqn
– House of the Americas (@CasAmericas)
January 13, 2021
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The message of pain was joined by the Casa de las Américas and its president, the Cuban writer and essayist, Abel Prieto, who, from the institution’s Twitter account, lamented “the departure of Enrique Pineda Barnet very much.”
“He was, without a doubt, an extraordinary human being, endowed with a special sensitivity. His cinema captures fundamental moments of who we are. Let our family and friends reach out to us,” adds the digital message.
“Song of Rachel” which was part of the soundtrack of the multi-award-winning film “La bella del Alhambra” (1989), winning the Goya award for best foreign film and presented as an Oscar nominee. #EnriquePorSiempre pic.twitter.com/VMErwNa015
– Cinemateca de Cuba (@CinematecaCuba)
January 12, 2021
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The Cuban filmmaker and screenwriter, Enrique Pineda obtained a theater mention in the Casa de las Américas 1964 contest for The Quimbumbia trial and was an advisor and co-author with the Soviet poet Evgueni Evtushenko of the script for the mythical Soviet-Cuban co-production Soy Cuba (1964 ). Mikhail Kalatozov’s “cursed film” in its controversial premiere is today a genuine “cult film,” says the director of the Cuban film institution.
One of the most recognized films by Enrique Pineda Barnet was the musical La bella de la Alhambra (1989), inspired by the testimonial novel Canción de Rachel, by the writer and ethnologist Miguel Barnet. This film production won the Goya Award for the best Spanish-speaking foreign film.
Amongst other of Enrique Pineda Barnet’s films, the highlights are La Announcement, Applause, his documentary Versos Sencillos y Mella, about the figure of the Cuban anti-imperialist politician Julio Antonio Mella.
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