Shoot Down (unrated) ***½

By Marta Barber

The news arrived early the afternoon of Feb. 24, 1996, a beautiful day in South Florida. Two planes from the Cuban-American organization, Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR), and their occupants had been shot down by Cuban Air Force MiGs. Like so much other news involving the United States, Cuba and Cuban Americans, there was to be a lot of finger-pointing, accusations and divisions among all parties involved. But one thing was clear: The planes were over international waters. Or were they?

Methodically and convincingly, Cristina Khuly explores that question in Shoot Down, a telling documentary about the events before and after that day. Motivated by the death of her uncle, Armando Alejandre Jr., one of the four victims — Carlos Costa, Mario de la Pena and Pablo Morales were the other three — Khuly painstakingly deconstructs these events while keeping an impartial tone. Even the soundtrack by Ed Bilous avoids using old Cuban music to manipulate sentimentality. But do enjoy the magnificent photography by Claudia Raschke of the Havana shoreline as well as the magnificent blue skies over the Florida Straits.

We meet the relatives of the four fallen men, each interviewed about their memories of the young pilots and the motivations that led them to join BTTR, an organization formed to help rafters at sea reach U.S. shores. Most outspoken is Maggie Alejandre Khuly, sister of Armando and mother of the director. Calm and collected, Khuly not only talks about the events but also the emotional growth that the Cuban community of South Florida had experienced since its arrival in the early 1960s. Khuly led the group of the victim’s relatives in the legal case that demanded retribution for their loss to be paid from Cuba’s frozen assets in the United States.

Also interviewed is Jose Basulto, a co-founder of BTTR, and the pilot of the only Cessna to survive the attack. Interestingly enough, Basulto is put to the task on answering his responsibility for their deaths. He had been advised not to fly on that day because of its significance to Cubans — Feb. 24 marks the beginning of Cuba’s fight of independence against Spain — and the fact that dissidents in Cuba had been picked up at their homes and taken to jails. Cuba, it seemed, was in a fighting mood.

The most interesting individual interviewed is Richard Nuccio, advisor to President Clinton on Cuba. His inside knowledge of the Clinton White House in matters referring to Cuba are quite revealing. (President Clinton doesn’t fare well in the overall assessment of his actions.)

Shoot Down is not only a labor of love to pay tribute to a relative who sacrificed for a cause, it is also a first-rate film about an event that cost the lives of four men that explores the reversal of fortune for many Cubans seeking a new life in the United States, the severing of the budding peaceful dissident movement in Cuba and the cooling down of talks between the two countries.

Almost everyone interviewed comes to realize that, as he had done for more than three decades, Castro won the political and immigration game. He had again squelched any opposition and made the United States look like the bad guy.

There are many chilling moments in the documentary, including the transmissions between the three Cessnas and the joyful — and extremely vulgar — conversations between the Cuban pilots after hitting the two Cessnas and, of course, the re-enactments of the shooting. Even if you followed these events and know the details well, Shoot Down is quite revealing — and moving.

This story was originally published January 24, 2008 at 4:01 AM.