| Waiting for Fidel | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Rubbo |
| Starring | Joey Smallwood, Geoff Stirling, Michael Rubbo |
| Editing by | Michael Rubbo |
| Distributed by | National Film Board of Canada |
| Release date(s) | 1974 |
| Running time | 57 min 50 s |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | C$ 125,155 [1] |
Waiting for Fidel is a documentary film from the National Film Board of Canada[2]. Joey Smallwood, former Premier of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland media mogul Geoff Stirling; and director Michael Rubbo documented their visit to Cuba in an unsuccessful attempt to interview Fidel Castro. Much of the film consists of the progressive-minded Smallwood and free-market supporter Stirling debating the effects of the Castro regime.
New York Times film reviewer Richard Eder observed that "It is about Cuba, in a way, but it is also about the difficulty in seeing Cuba for what it may be."[3] Gary Evans, in his chronicles of the National Film Board, called the film "one of the most intriguing documentaries of the period".[1]