As "Revolution Rent" (2019 release; 91 min.) opens, it is "Havana, Cuba, December 24, Opening Night", as we seen the cast of the Cuban version of the Broadway play "RENT" about to hit the stage, many of them very nervous. We then go to "Miami, Florida", where we meet Andy Senor Jr. And his mom. Andy was one of the original cast members when "RENT" hit Broadway in 1996. Now 2 decades later, he has moved up to be one of the directors of carious RENT productions. Andy's mom fled Havana as a child, and when she gets wind that Andy is considering directing the Cuban version of RENT, she does not hide her displeasure. But Andy's mind is made up... At this point we are 10 min. Into the documentary.
Couple of comments: Andy Senor Jr.'s hands and feet are all over this film. He of course directed the Cuban version of the Broadway show, but he also co-directed and co-produced this documentary, which feels like a labor of love. The initial part focuses on how they will stage a Broadway show in Havana, with local actors of course, and needing to build a stage from scratch, etc. But the documentary really takes off when we get to know the local actors, many of them struggling and living in what you have to say looks a lot like poverty. (In fact, much of Havana looks to be in terrible shape, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment's notice). The other thread in the documentary is Andy's and his mom's relationship with Cuba, and whether they can find some closure. I found it all rather amazing. Once again, it's the human side (and insight) that makes this documentary worthwhile, rather than the technical challenges of staging a Broadway play in Havana. Last but not least: we learn that tickets for the show cost 10 pesos, or about 50 US cents. Obvious question: who financed the staging of RENT in Havana? How did they make any money on this? Other burning question: how did RENT get chosen/approved by the Cuban government for staging in Havana? None of these questions are addressed in the documentary.
"Revolutionary Rent" premiered on the film festival circuit in 2019, and then HBO snapped it up. It premiered last week on HBO and HBO Max, and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. If you are a fan of RENT or curious about what life is like in Havana for ordinary people, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
