August 28, 2017

The Los Angeles & New York City Premiere of the Film Embargo: The Story of Politics and Collusion Behind the Cuban Embargo

Next Year In Havana Films presents Embargo, a film by first-time, female director, Jeri Rice, which premieres in Santa Monica at the Laemmle Monica Film Center on September 8th through the 14th and in New York City at the Village East Cinema on September 15th through the 21st for one-week runs. The 90-minute documentary follows Rice’s quest for truth, beginning with a rare encounter with Cuban President, Fidel Castro.

Along with information from recently declassified documents and original interviews with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Sergei Khrushchev, Ted Sorensen, and Lucie Arnaz—among others—an unprecedented array of historical, political, social and cultural perspectives is revealed in Embargo. New insights into: the Fulgencio Batista-Richard Nixon- CIA connections; Nixon’s link to the failed Bay of Pig invasion; behind the scenes with Ted Sorensen during the Cuban Missile Crisis; Watergate and more.

The film's compelling truths ultimately link the threads of an untold history, as it exposes a foreign policy that has failed both countries. Now is a time of change between Cuba and the United States – forward or backward, and the future of the embargo hangs in the balance. A new Cold War developing with the threat of nuclear confrontations, Embargo’s relevance to today’s political climate is a perfect point to begin a new conversation.


A private reception and screening benefiting the Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation, hosted by Aris Anagnos, Edward Asner, Hector Elizondo, Jan Goodman, Ed Harris, Brad Horwitz, Jerry Manpearl, Susan Sarandon, and the Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation, will be held on Thursday, September 7th at the Laemmle Monica, Santa Monica. A Q&A will follow the screening with Director: Jeri Rice; Vice President Los Angeles Port Commissioners: Dave Arian; Editor in Chief of Truthdig: Bob Scheer and American Author, Journalist and Public Speaker: Nomi Prins.

In New York on opening night, Friday, September 15th, at the Village East Cinema, following the 5:30pm and 7:40pm screenings, there will be Q&A with: Jeri Rice, Director; Peter Kornbluh, Director of the National Security Archive's Cuba Documentation Project; and Sandra Levinson, Executive Director, Center for Cuban Studies.

Laemmle's Monica Film Center
1332 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Opens: Fri., September 8th - Thurs. 14th
Show times: 1:50pm | 4:30pm | 7:10pm | 9:40pm
Tickets: $13 | $10
www.laemmle.com/films/42618
(310) 478-3836

Village East Cinema
189 2nd Ave., NYC, NY 10003
Opens: Fri., September 15th – Thurs. 21st
Show times: 11:00am | 1:10pm | 3:20pm | 5:30pn | 7:40pm | 10:25pm
Tickets: $15 | $12 | $10
https://www.citycinemas.com/villageeast/film/embargo
(212) 529-6998


The screenings are sponsored by the Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation (artsculturalbridge.org). The Foundation’s purpose is to foster opportunities to promote dialogue, cultural exchanges, support actions and initiatives that contribute to the normalization of relations and for a better understanding between the people of Cuba and the United States. Additional Sponsors include: Aris Anagnos, The Campizondo Foundation – A Donor Advised Fund of The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust, Ed Harris, and The Horwitz Family Memorial Foundation.

Media Sponsors
KPFK 90.7fm Los Angeles
WBAI 99.5fm New York City

Embargo Exclusive Interviews
ANN LOUISE BARDACH: Author; FRANK MANKIEWICZ: Press Secretary for RFK Jr.; LAURENCE WILKERSON: Chief of Staff to Colin Powell; LUCIE ARNAZ: Daughter of Desi Arnaz and Lucile Ball; ROBERT KENNEDY, JR: Son of RFK; SERGEI KHRUSHCHEV: Son of Nikita Khrushchev; TED SORENSEN: Speech writer for JFK; RUSS BAKER: Author; PETER KORNBLUH: Director of the Cuba Project, National Security Archives, GWU; JOSE PERTIERRA: Human rights lawyer; JORGE M. PEREZ: Developer and philanthropist; and ANTONIO ZAMORA: Former corporate council to the Cuban American Foundation; PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON; T. J. ENGLISH: Author; RON KLEIN: Former US Congressman; MAX LESNIK: Journalist; Rep. JIM McDERMOTT: Former US Congressman; JACK O'HALLORAN: Son of Albert Anastasia; NOMI PRINS: Author; LAMAR WALDRON: Author; and STEPHEN ZACK: Former President of the American Bar Association.

Embargo Crew
Director and Producer: JERI RICE; Executive Producers: ARIS ANAGNOS, GERALYN WHITE DREYFOUS, KATHLEEN LEWIS, GREGORY D. LUTIN, JORGE M. PEREZ, JERI RICE and SUZANNE THOMPSON; Co-Producers: JOANNA CHARNES and TODD SALI; Cinematographer: TODD SALI; Co-Writers: MARK MONROE and JERI RICE; Editors: ALEX CHAVEZ, DANNY DANEAU, ZACH GOUZ, and RAJEANA PRICE; Associate Producers: ALISON NAROD, ROBERT PASKUS, SOFIA BAUM, and DARIUS FISHER; Original Sound Track and Music Supervisor: KULLY B and GUSSY G.; Postproduction Producer and Sound design: EDWARD OLESCHAK PGA; and Special Thanks to: ARTS AND CULTURAL BRIDGE FOUNDATION; THE ROSENTHAL FOUNDATION; and the UTAH FILM CENTER.

Contact
Suzanne Thompson (310) 570-5419
Suzannethompson55@gmail.com