The Cuban writer who defied Fidel Castro
Witness History6 Joulu 2019

The Cuban writer who defied Fidel Castro

On 7 December 1990 the dissident Cuban novelist and poet Reinaldo Arenas killed himself in New York after years of suffering from AIDS. Before fleeing Cuba, Arenas had been jailed for his homosexuality, sent to re-education camps and prevented from writing. He left behind his autobiography - Before Night Falls - a powerful denunciation of Fidel Castro’s regime which later became a successful film. Simon Watts talks to Arenas’ friend and fellow writer, Jaime Manrique.

The recordings of Reinaldo Arenas in this programme are taken from BBC archive, and the documentaries Conducta Impropria and Seres Extravagantes.

(Photo: Reinaldo Arenas. Credit: Sophie Bassouls/Sygma/Sygma/Getty Images)

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(2000)

The cellist who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau

The cellist who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau

In 1943, the cellist, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. She expected to be killed in the gas chambers but survived because she was recruited to play in an o...

31 Heinä 10min

'I organised the first Comic Con'

'I organised the first Comic Con'

In 1964, a group of teenage boys organised a convention in New York – it became known as the first official Comic Con.The idea began after 16-year-old Bernie Bubnis wrote an article in his comic book ...

30 Heinä 10min

Sweden's summer shutdown

Sweden's summer shutdown

In the summer of 1978, many Swedish workers relished the chance to take longer, paid vacations than ever before.This was thanks to an update to Sweden’s Annual Leave Act - or Semesterlagen in Swedish ...

29 Heinä 11min

The last execution by garrote: Salvador Puig Antich

The last execution by garrote: Salvador Puig Antich

In 1974, an execution method known as the garrote, a chair with a metal collar tightened by a screw to break the neck, was used for the last time.Francisco Franco's regime used it to execute two young...

27 Heinä 10min

Creating Africa’s largest film festival

Creating Africa’s largest film festival

On 1 February 1969, the first African film festival of Ouagadougou opened in the Republic of Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso.In 1972, the event was made into an official institution by governme...

24 Heinä 10min

The first solar-powered flight around the world

The first solar-powered flight around the world

In 2016, a fragile-looking aircraft with the wingspan of a jumbo jet and the power of a scooter attempted something no-one had ever managed before: flying around the world without a drop of fuel.But b...

23 Heinä 10min

Unveiling the face of Crazy Horse

Unveiling the face of Crazy Horse

On 3 June 1998, a stone carving of Native American warrior Crazy Horse's face was unveiled in South Dakota.It is 27m tall and is part of a much larger sculpture showing the Native American warrior rid...

22 Heinä 10min

How a Peruvian instrument revolutionised flamenco

How a Peruvian instrument revolutionised flamenco

Before 1977, flamenco percussion relied solely on hand‑clapping and dancers' footwork. But that year, at a party in Lima, Peru, the cajon entered the scene.Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia and Brazilia...

21 Heinä 10min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
seitseman
i-dont-like-mondays
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
sita
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kaksi-aitia
hupiklubi
kolme-kaannekohtaa
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mamma-mia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
ihme-ja-kumma
lahko
rss-haudattu
loukussa
meidan-pitais-puhua