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Episodic
look at the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), from
his childhood in Oriente province to his death in New York City. He joins
Castro's rebels. By 1964, he is in Havana. He meets the wealthy Pepe, an early
lover; a love-hate relationship lasts for years. Openly gay behavior is a way
to spite the government. His writing and homosexuality get him into trouble:
he spends two years in prison, writing letters for other inmates and smuggling
out a novel. He befriends Lázaro Gomes Garriles, with whom he lives stateless
and in poverty in Manhattan after leaving Cuba in the Mariel boat-lift. When
asked why he writes, he replies cheerfully, "Revenge."
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