Waiting for Fidel

Waiting for Fidel is a 1974 Canadian documentary by Michael Rubbo and starring director Rubbo, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Joey Smallwood and Newfoundland media mogul Geoff Stirling. It depicts Rubbo, Smallwood, and Stirling's unsuccessful attempt to interview Cuban leader Fidel Castro.^[2]

Waiting for Fidel
Directed by	Michael Rubbo
Produced by	Tom Daly Michael Rubbo
Starring	Joey Smallwood, Geoff Stirling, Michael Rubbo
Cinematography	Douglas Kiefer
Edited by	Michael Rubbo John Fricker
Distributed by	National Film Board of Canada
Release date	1974 (1974)
Running time	57 min 50 s
Country	Canada
Language	English
Budget	$123,155[1] (CAD)

Synopsis

Two Canadians, former premier of Newfoundland Joey Smallwood and broadcaster Geoff Stirling, travel to Cuba in a private jet. They attempt to meet Fidel Castro to discuss Cuba–United States relations, but Castro never shows up. Instead, much of the film consists of discussions between progressive Smallwood and free-marketer Stirling about the effects of the Castro regime.

The film's name is a take on the play Waiting for Godot, which has a similar conceit of two men conversing while they await a guest who never arrives.

Critical reception and influence

New York Times film reviewer Richard Eder observed that "It is about Cuba, in a way, but it is also about the difficulty in seeing Cuba for what it may be."^[3] The film has been cited as an inspiration for director Michael Moore.^[4]