Yahoo! April 12, 2001
Kevin Costner Wraps Up Cuba Stay
HAVANA, 11 (AP) - Kevin Costner wrapped up a visit to Cuba on Wednesday with
a final showing of his movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis and a message to
world leaders about the dangers of an arms buildup.
Knowing that the United States and other countries still stockpile weapons
of mass destruction "makes me very sad,'' Costner told a news conference. "And
when I look at leaders I think they are asleep.''
The actor-producer spoke before heading off to a public screening of his
film "Thirteen Days.'' Costner and the rest of his Hollywood delegation
were returning to the United States early Thursday.
Fellow producer Aryan Bernstein, chairman of Beacon Pictures, said they were
talking with Cuban filmmakers about the possibility of making a documentary
presenting the Cuban side of the crisis.
"This is an American movie made from an American point of view,''
Costner said. The Cuban and Soviet perspectives are "two important parts of
the story that have not been told,'' he said.
Cuban President Fidel Castro (news - web sites) said he would play himself
in such a film, Bernstein said.
Castro and other Cuban officials joined Costner, Bernstein and producer
Peter Almond for a private screening of "Thirteen Days'' on Monday. Castro
met again with the group for a three-hour discussion of the movie Tuesday.
"We had a very satisfactory experience discussing the film with
President Castro ... who had a deeply personal response to the film,'' Costner
said.
The movie is told from the vantage point of President John F. Kennedy and
his staff. It focuses on the decision-making process that led to the removal of
the Soviet missiles from Cuba in October 1962.
Castro, who was in power at the time of the crisis, and other Cuban
officials were not portrayed in the film.
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CUBA / Political police cancels showing of "Thirteen Days" / UPECI
Chucho Valdes Gets Grammy
NEW YORK, 12 (AP) - Chucho Valdes couldn't go to the Grammys (news - web
sites), so the Grammy has come to him.
The Cuban pianist, who is featured in the upcoming movie "Calle 54,''
won a Grammy for best Latin jazz album for "Live at the Village Vanguard''
in February. But he was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles because he
was performing in Cuba with Herbie Hancock.
So as he opened a weeklong set at the Village Vanguard on Tuesday night, he
was presented with the award by the chairman of the Recording Academy, Phil
Ramone, as Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover watched.
Through a translator, Valdes said he was overwhelmed by the achievement.
His latest release is "Solo: Live in New York.''
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