Murray State University Cinema International is screening “The Padilla Affair” this week. The Spanish documentary, written and directed by Pavel Giroud, tells the story of the 1971 public confession of Cuban poet and political dissident Heberto Padilla, who confessed to crimes against the state and denounced his own political beliefs in order to be released from prison under Fidel Castro’s administration. The film, which utilizes previously unreleased footage of Padilla’s public confession, shows what life was like under the Castro regime, as well as the dangers associated with self-censorship in reaction to fear of government reprisal.
Murray State student Miracle Schmidt said the film takes place around the later years of the Cuban Revolution and focuses on Padilla’s work during that time.
“He [wrote] many poems before the Cuban Revolution, during and afterward, and some of his poems during the revolution sparked a lot of controversy among Cuban elites because they weren't exactly directly supportive of the revolution. Some were even critical, and that wasn't really allowed when within that time frame because there [was] such a high level of censorship,” Schmidt said. “He was eventually arrested for criticisms of the revolution, but was released after he gave a deposition that claimed that his previous criticisms of the revolution were false. He also denounced other poets and artists of his time and said that they are also critics of the revolution.”
Padilla was imprisoned for 37 days and ultimately confessed to the crimes against the revolution as is shown in previously unreleased footage utilized in the documentary.
Cinema International co-director Tamara Feinstein said this kind of censorship from the Cuban government was not uncommon under the Castro regime, but that not everyone who got arrested was released.
“His release has to do with the fact that he was a very famed and well regarded poet internationally. So his poems were well received, and there were a lot of famous intellectuals, including leftist intellectuals, who previously had been very supportive of the Cuban Revolution, who lobbied Castro to release him,” Feinstein said. “Some of [Castro’s] critics who ended up in jail, political prisoners were released and then surveilled. How people get treated changes over time, and their ability to flee the country or go into exile also depends on the particular time period”
Padilla’s works were banned in Cuba after 1971. He moved to the United States in 1980, and later published an autobiography describing his time in prison and how he agreed to the public confession to get out.
Feinstein said she hoped that viewers will leave the screening with more awareness about how freedoms can be limited and consider it a warning sign.
“I think you should be nervous when art starts to get censored, when the government starts to force you to censor yourself, when you see pushes to let less voices be heard,” Feinstein said. “That can happen in any type of country. It's a warning sign about democracy and open society.”
Schmidt said the film shows the difference between what she called loud and silent censorship.
“I think that this is an example of loud censorship. Because I feel silent censorship happens every day, no matter where you are, but when it becomes so loud, that fear, it just has to be there. Because how can you have inalienable rights when they can be taken away at the site like at the hands of the next person who comes into power? Those aren’t inalienable rights.” Schmidt said.
“I think we really have to be aware that our freedoms are in our own hands, and we give those to the people in power, and we have to really hold them accountable, because when we forget about the things that happened in the past, they happen again.”
MSU Cinema International will screen the Padilla Affair on April 24 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall room 208 of the main campus of Murray State University. The event is free and open to the public.
