Under the dim lights at Old City’s Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar, Penn students and Philadelphia activists began to congregate over scrumptious appetizers and complimentary drinks. The mood was casual and light, like an ordinary Sunday-evening cocktail hour; friends chatted and newcomers looked around for familiar faces by the bar. But for a hefty volume and petition, already full of signatures, it would have been easy at first to miss the more solemn purpose of the evening. Tonight, the cause that brought almost 70 students to the other side of the Schuylkill was even more popular than the free mojitos they found when they got there: a free, democratic Cuba. Once attendees had chatted and snacked to their content, organizers began to usher the crowd into an adjoining room, which had been arranged for a screening of the PBS documentary, “American Experience: Fidel Castro.”

The event, which included a screening of a portion of the film as well as a Q & A with writer/director Adriana Bosch, was organized by a new organization on campus. Created only last fall, this fledgling chapter has hit the ground running, with three major events so far this semester, all in just over a week. Like its parent organization, the University Council of the Cuban American National Foundation (UC-CANF), PennCANF supports the realization of a free Cuba, using social and educational events to connect the university to the Cuban community and to inform students about the oppressive political, economic, and social situation in Cuba today. Screening “American Experience: Fidel Castro” was a small step toward each of these goals.

“I made this for you,” Bosch said to the young audience, by way of introduction. “I did not make this film for your parents--they know this story.”

Bosch’s film explores the roots of the current state of affairs in Cuba - one many would say is too-often romanticized - through the figure of Fidel Castro. After almost eight years in production, the film first aired on PBS about five years ago. However, the historical focus of the film remains “timely,” according to PennCANF President Danny Lafuente, who points to Fidel Castro’s failing health and the many who wait in anticipation of a new window of opportunity for Cuba’s to transition to a free and democratic society.

Castro seized power from the Batista regime in 1959, and has remained in rule for the past 48 years. He gained prominence on the international stage during the Cold War as a protector of the Third World, helping to overthrow governments in countries around the world, including Angola, Vietnam, Liberia, Syria, and Zanzibar. A continuous stream of aggressive government initiatives, such as his failed attempt in 1970 to double Cuba’s sugar output, kept Cuba on a dangerous economic roller-coaster. More than once, the Soviet Union pulled Castro’s Cuba out of total economic devastation. By 1979 Castro had managed to preserve his world image as revolutionary leader and savior, a maverick who stood up to America and her “stooges,” and he was elected President of the Non-Aligned Movement. Eventually, at the urging of the United States, the UN began to investigate charges of human rights abuses. These investigations, bolstered by the hard evidence collected by Ricardo Bofill, who had himself been imprisoned in Cuba for 12 years, began to bring Castro’s darker side to the world’s attention.

Equal parts idealist and pragmatist, charmer and militant, visionary and fool, it is easy to understand why finding the “truth” about Fidel Castro and Cuba can be difficult today. Images of his compatriot and co-revolutionary, Che Guevera, are trendy on t-shirts. Cuban socialism is sometimes touted as a model system, most notably in light of its universal health care system. But CANF argues that there are harsh realities to balance these idealized portraits.

This conflict has already surfaced on campus. An event about the Cuban health care system, hosted last semester by a local organization, sparked a fiery debate about the quality of life in Cuba. Emotions ran high and as attendees began to filter out, the conversation descended into an almost ideological battle. This clash points to the need for a better-informed student body.

Despite its proximity, the view of Cuba from the United States is still fuzzy. It’s time to bring our neighbor into focus. The coming years are likely to see the death of Castro and, with his passing, a dramatic change in Cuban government. Bosch will not extend the film to include these developments. After eight years producing and five years screening, she says that she is “Fideled-out. It’s time for other people to take over the story.”

For more information, check out these websites:

Penn CANF:  www.penncanf.org

PBS:  “American Experience: Fidel Castro”   www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/castro/filmmore/index.html

Cuba Libre (for future events):  www.cubalibrerestaurant.com