Cuban actor channels Fidel Castro in dark comedy screening at Miami Film Festival
Fidel Castro will always be persona non grata in Miami, even in fiction. But in reality it's an enticing acting challenge to portray the dictator who held Cuba in a tight grip from 1959 until his death in 2016.
Cuban actor Carlos Enrique Almirante plays Castro in “Comandante Fritz,” a spy film with touches of dark humor, which will screen Friday at the Miami Film Festival as part of the Spotlight on Cuba program, which presents recent Cuban-themed films .
The starting point for Castro’s character is donning the olive-green uniform, the cap, sporting the beard and developing the mannerisms Cubans know from his multi-hour speeches. Then comes that particular way of speaking so well imitated by comedians Armando Roblan and Eddy Calderón during long seasons in Calle Ocho theaters and on Miami radio.
“Comandante Fritz” takes place in the 1970s, beginning with a historical event: Castro gifts one of the keys of the Cuban archipelago to the dictator of East Germany, Erich Honecker. From there this tangled comedy unfolds.
Almirante, 43, steps into the shoes of a Fidel of a similar age to his own, recreated with mastery by makeup artists David Martí and Montse Ribé, Oscar winners for Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 hit “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
But it takes much more than looking like Castro, and for Carlos Enrique, whose breakout role was as a drag performer in “Fátima o el parque de la Fraternidad” (2015).
“When they asked me in interviews what character I wanted to play, I said a serial killer, a drag queen, some really difficult role, and honestly, I was lucky that it came to me,” Almirante said in an interview with the Nuevo Herald in November 2021.
By then he had no idea that “Comandante Fritz” director Pavel Giroud would offer him the role of Castro.
“Pavel was able to see in me the power of transformation and characterization that was needed,” Almirante said. “All my focus was on getting as close as possible. There are no half measures with a character like this: either we pull it off perfectly or it becomes a caricature, and that wasn’t the idea for the film nor my working style.”
Almirante was practically born in front of a camera. He is the son of Cuban actor Enrique Almirante, who died in 2007. While on a shoot with his father, he landed his first role in the television adventures “El dragón mambí” (1995) on Cuban TV. He was 11 years old.
He then went on to a fruitful film career with directors such as Fernando Pérez in “Madrigal” (2007) and “La pared de las palabras” (2014); Venezuelan Fina Torres in “Habana Eva” (2007); and Spanish director Iciar Bollaín in “Yuli “(2018), among other titles.
This has been a good year for Almirante in film. He lives in Miami, where he shot “Eva y Adán en Miami,” directed by Lilo Vilaplana, and filmed “Comandante Fritz” in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where Havana was recreated.
In this interview Almirante also tells us about his theater plans under director-producer Yusnel Suárez, who is changing Miami’s scene with plays that are entertaining, deep, and rooted in current issues, filling venues like the Trail Theater in Calle Ocho.
How did it feel to play Fidel Castro and what did you bring to the character?
I like to go deep, and it was a perfect opportunity to bring out all the facets of a character we all know but have never seen made public. It was our chance to say what was never said and show him as he hadn’t been seen.
Why do Cubans need a comedy like ‘Comandante Fritz’ right now?
This film contains bits of every genre. A little of everything. But what will grab the audience most is the absurdity. A genre that Arturo Infante, the screenwriter, handles very well in the film. For those who don’t know the history closely it may seem incredible. Fantastical. But we Cubans, who have lived it up close, know that anything can happen on the island.
How does it feel that ‘Comandante Fritz’ will premiere in the U.S. at the Miami Film Festival?
It’s the best place to premiere and present it. Our community in Miami needs films like this. There couldn’t be a better setting. And we’ll have the chance to experience it together at the festival. For me it’s also a premiere—I haven’t seen the film. I have the same anticipation as the Miami audience.
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We know you also premiered the film ‘Eva y Adán en Miami’ at the Miami Film Festival. What was it like to take part in that film?
It’s a refreshing film directed by Lilo Vilaplana. A production that showcases the city’s splendor and the entanglements of love. It brings together great actors from different nationalities like Mexican Elizabeth Gutiérrez, Argentine and Puerto Rican Julián Gil and Bárbara Cuesta from Spain.
My character Romeo represents Cubans in Miami who struggle, work, drive for Uber to make a living and fall in love. We don’t lose that romantic and passionate side we Cubans have. It was lovely to represent my culture and my people in a project we hope will soon premiere in Spain and have a run on festivals and platforms.
How has ‘Comandante Fritz’ been received in other countries, and what do they say about your portrayal of Castro?
The film has been at various festivals. What surprises me most are the messages from audiences who attended; they look me up on social media to congratulate me and to show their astonishment at the resemblance. No one imagines me in that role. Not even me! And that’s the most interesting part.
What can you tell us about the play ‘El intercambio,’ and what interested you about the character Richard?
It’s a very well-written comedy that takes us on a one-way journey through couple relationships. It lands us in many current problems and shows us different paths that don’t always work out. It depicts the everyday life of couples and the escape routes that work for some and not for others. What appealed to me most was the cast of friends and actors who share the screen with me. Working again with Cuban director Yusnel Suárez is wonderful. We had so much fun together during the process.
Comandante Fritz screens April 17, 7 p.m., Olympia Theater, 174 E Flagler St. miamifilmfestival.com/collections/spotlight-on-cuba/ The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
