Buenas cosas de Latino America!

A friend of mine, Paulina Vidal, and some others, have got together to organise Sydney's first Latin America Film Festival. It runs throughout February and there is at least one must-see film on the program for those interested in Cuban music and dance: La Tropical, David Turnley's black & white doco of the famous Havana music venue. La Tropical, which, according to solardelatimba.com, opened in 1904, is still going today - as a place where locals can see the big bands for 2 pesos entrada (about 30 cents - foreigners don't get your hopes up: you will be charged US$10) and a set for the dance competition TV show, Bailar Casino. (I don't know how those girls dance on that slippery surface without falling and breaking their pretty necks).



David Turnley is a Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist who spent two months in Havana in 2000, documenting La Tropical's history and its people. I've heard good reports from people overseas who have already seen this - as far as I know, it's screening in Australia for the first time, and I'm definitely going to get my ass into the cinema to have a look at it. It's screening at the Campbelltown Arts Centre on February 19 at 4pm, and at the Tom Mann Theatre in Surry Hills on February 26 at 5pm. There is a lot more Latino goodness on the program - the website is www.sydneylatinofilmfestival.org. Could that URL be any longer?