This is one of many short films I saw on the Canadian TV show ZeD. Meeting Che Guevara is strange, sad and very dream-like. The movie, on its surface, looks like it's about a real-life war of the worlds in the 1960s, with the current Cuban missile crisis as a distraction from more important things. An Irish girl is instructed to deliver a message to Che Guevara on the matter.However, this movie isn't asking you to actually believe any of this. Indeed, quotations at the start of the movie talk about dreams. The girl talks a little about life being like a dream. So while the man from Maybury Hill asserts that the war of the worlds is real indeed, we can still have our doubts. This movie is actually a window into the mind of a sad, delusional girl. Her message to Che is a prime indicator of this. The whole thing is helped along by a beautiful musical score and competent acting and writing. This is a strange concept for a movie, but it's ultimately a wonderful film.
... View MoreA tremendous cinematic effort. Rarely have I seen such a moving short film. Definitely among the best short films of the past few years. To really appreciate it, you need to see it multiple times. The Invisible Man is a very interesting touch.John Hurt is excellent in his role as the Man from Maybury hill. Kurt Scheils is a very realistic Che Guevara. I doubt that a better "Beth" could have been found than Fiona O'Shaugnessy. The choice of cast, the piano music and the black and white combine to make this film a very artistic experience. The use of archival footage of a Che Guevara interview in Ireland also adds to the experience. A must for any admirer of either Che or science fiction.
... View MoreMeeting Che Guevara is an interesting short indie film combining revolutionary themes. A sci-fi interpretation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film was an enjoyable and captivating twenty minutes.The story centers around a deluded girl who is reading The War of the Worlds and is told by the 'Man from Mayberry Hill' (John Hurt) that she has to find Che and give him a letter. You realize the sci fi element when you come across an invisible man.On the downside, there were a few anachronisms present. For example, if Che was in Ireland in 1964, then it was several years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Another pet peeve was the Karl Sheils performance as Che. He certainly resembled Guevara (greasy hair, beard) but I think he made Che too Cuban. Sheils' accent sounded more Tony Montana than Ernesto Guevara. Overall it was worth watching and the soundtrack gets stuck in your head...Sidenote: Che Guevara spent a few hours in Ireland on a layover in 1964 and gave a rare interview to Irish journalist (Sean Egan) It looks like some of the footage from this event is in the film. Guevara did in fact have an Irish ancestor from County Galway. Ana Isabela Lynch was his paternal grandmother. She emigrated to Argentina during the famine.
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