Swinging with Andy

Andy Garcia’s upcoming film, The Lost City, can be described only as a labor of love. The movie is lush and intoxicating, a drama that captures the romance of old Cuba and the strength of family ties amid the chaos of political change. Despite the compelling plot, it took seventeen years for Garcia to finally complete his vision.

“We finished the screenplay in 1990, but big studios weren’t interested in making it,” says Garcia, who directed, produced, and stars in the independent film. He received diplomatic refusals from just about every major studio in Hollywood. Executives simply weren’t interested in tackling a politically controversial, romantic project. Garcia’s tenacity and determination paid off. Working alongside luminaries like Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray, he has created a film that will capture the hearts of local audiences. “It’s an epic tale in the same genre as a movie like Casablanca or Dr. Zhivago. It’s about the end of a way of life, and the central metaphor for the film is the idea of impossible love, having to leave the thing that you most cherish,” Garcia explains.

The filmmaker describes The Lost City as a kind of Cuban rhapsody: “Music is sort of the protagonist of the film. My character [Fico Fellove] is a man who owns a cabaret. Music and dance accompany him wherever he goes, and it’s the soul of the Cuban people. It’s ultimately where he finds solace in exile, in the one thing that never betrayed him.” The music from this film will take center stage tonight at 8:00, when the film star performs alongside Cuban jazz legends Cachao and the Cineson Allstars at the James L. Knight Center. Tickets range from $51 to $101. Call 305-372-4634, or visit www.jlkc.com.
Fri., April 21