ELIÁN

2017 | USA, Ireland | NR | 108 min.

Showings

Kirkbride at the Commons Thu, Jul 27, 2017 9:00 PM
Bijou by the Bay Fri, Jul 28, 2017 12:00 PM
Film Info
Section:US Documentary
Release Year:2017
Runtime:108 min.
Premiere Status:Michigan Premiere
Rating:NR
Production Country:USA
Ireland
Original Language:English
Spanish
Subtitles:English
Cast/Crew Info
Director:Tim Golden
Ross McDonnell
Produced by:Trevor Birney
Screenwriter:Tim Golden
Cinematography:Ross McDonnell
Editing By:Michael J. Palmer
Hannah Vanderlan
Music By:Mckenzie Stubbert

Description

Five-year-old Elián Gonzalez captured the world’s attention in 1999 when he was recued from the ocean clinging to an innertube, generating a media swarm around what was ultimately a tragic story. Elián’s tale was stretched, thinned out, watered down, and sensationalized until we ultimately left him, and the 20th century, behind. In this fascinating documentary, filmmakers Tim Golden, Ross McDonnell, and Alex Gibney (“Enron: The Smartest Guys In the Room”) find a nuanced way to tell the story we know so much— and so little—about by placing its protagonist front and center. Too young to speak out in 1999, Elián is the only person who hasn’t weighed in on his story, until now. In the wake of Fidel Castro’s death, the now 23-year-old Cuban citizen shares his experiences firsthand in this gripping and illuminating documentary.

PRE-SHOW MUSIC BY
Josh Birdsong (Thu)
The Turtlenecks (Fri)

SPONSORED BY
The Wilson Family and Rainbow Rehabilitation Center (Thu)
Cristy & Scott Sneed (Fri)