Foreign Policy Blogs

Che Guevara: Where You'd Never Imagine Him

This documentary doesn’t quite live up to its name.
Filmed entirely in black and white, it combines photographs and films to tell the story of revolutionary Che Guevara.
At little less than an hour, “Che Guevara: Where You’d Never Imagine Him” covers the high points of Guevara’s life as a rebel.
Director Manuel Perez shows how Guevara changed from a middle class medical student in Buenos Aires largely because of a trip he took by motorcycle all around the continent of South America.
He also delves into Guevara’s time helping Fidel Castro in the Cuban revolution.
Itching for a fight, Guevara leaves Cuba for a stint in Africa helping another revolution.
Perez barely touches on the rebel’s time in Bolivia where he is eventually captured and killed.

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The reason why “Che Guevara: Where You’d Never Imagine Him” falls short is because it does not cover much new ground. It is, however, an excellent primer to learn about the life of Guevara.
Perez makes no bones about which side he is on: he insists on showing Castro as a liberator and not a dictator even though he could be considered both.
This film includes interview with Guevara’s family and friends and utilizes letters he wrote home during his travels.
It is also a love letter, an homage to Guevara who remains an iconic image globally for those who believe in his ideals of justice and equality.
“Che Guevara: Where You’d Never Imagine Him” is available on DVD.

Murphy can be reached at [email protected]

 

Author

Sean Patrick Murphy

Sean Patrick Murphy is a graduate of Bennington College, where he majored in politics and Latin American literature. He has worked for Current History magazine, Physicians for Human Rights, and Citizens for Global Solutions (formerly the World Federalist Association). He lives outside Philadelphia.

Areas of Focus:
Cinematography; Independent Films; Documentary;

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