[ D e s c r i p t i o n ]


The life of Reinaldo Arenas, an exiled Cuban homosexual writer, is chronicled in an adaptation of his memoir BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, directed by Julian Schnabel (BASQUIAT).

Javier Bardem (in an Oscar-nominated performance) portrays Arenas as he journeys from poverty to university to the sexual revolution and homosexual subculture in Havana to persecution and imprisonment under the policies of Fidel Castro for being both gay and a writer. Despite the harsh conditions of prison, the courageous Arenas continued not only to write but also to publish his works abroad. Ultimately, he was allowed to leave Cuba for America, but there he faced new struggles as a man without a country battling AIDS.

Schnabel's beautifully filmed sophomore directorial effort captures the essence of Cuba during the revolution. Johnny Depp is featured in the dual supporting roles of the cross-dressing prison inmate, Bon Bon, and the brutal officer, Lieutenant Victor. A well-disguised Sean Penn appears as Cuco Sanchez. Olivier Martinez as Lázaro Gómez Carillo and Andrea Di Stefano as Pepe Malas deliver standout performances.

The film received accolades at the 2000 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.

"...[A] powerful true story....Viscerally evocative..."

Theatrical release: December 22, 2000.

Filmed in Mexico and New York City.

Javier Bardem--who portrays Reinaldo Arenas--was originally slated for the supporting role of Lázaro Gómez Carillo, ultimately played by Olivier Martinez.

Director Julian Schnabel's parents, wife, and five children all appear in the film.

The National Board of Review, A.O. Scott and Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times, Jan Stuart of Newsday, Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News, Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly, the Austin Chronicle, and the American Film Institute named BEFORE NIGHT FALLS one of the 10 best films of 2000.

The National Board of Review and the National Society of Film Critics named Javier Bardem Best Actor for his performance in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS.

Javier Bardem was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture--Drama for his role in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS.

"...[Javier Bardem] gives an undeniably dynamic performance....[Penn and Depp's cameos] are brief and well-integrated..." -- 3 out of 4 stars

Ranked #5 in Entertainment Weekly's "Owen Gleiberman's BEST MOVIES OF 2000" -- "...[Bardem is] marvelous and moving..."

"...Lushly beautiful..."

"...Ambitious, stylistically audacious and intelligent....A complex and rewarding film..."

"...Redolent of atmosphere and rapturously cinematic, BEFORE NIGHT FALLS has a gift for creating visual mood that's so strong you'd swear it couldn't last -- but you'd be wrong..."

"...Schnabel, the painter, makes his screen a rich canvas of dream sequences, fragmented childhood memories and the wild Cuban demimonde inhabited by Arenas and others who do not conform..."



[ C a s t ]


Directed by
Julian Schnabel

Writing credits
Reynaldo Arenas (memoir)
Cunningham O'Keefe (screenplay) &
Lázaro Gómez Carriles (screenplay) &
Julian Schnabel (screenplay)

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete
Javier Bardem .... Reinaldo Arenas
Olivier Martinez .... Lázaro Gómez Carriles
Andrea Di Stefano .... Pepe Malas
Johnny Depp .... Bon Bon / Lieutenant Victor
Michael Wincott .... Herberto Zorrilla Ochoa
Olatz Lopez Garmendia .... Reynaldo's Mother
Giovanni Florido .... Young Reynaldo (as Giovani Florido)
Loló Navarro .... Reynaldo's Grandmother
Sebastián Silva .... Reynaldo's Father
Carmen Beato .... Teacher
Cy Schnabel .... Smallest School Child
Olmo Schnabel .... Smallest School Child
Vito Maria Schnabel .... Teenage Reynaldo
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. .... Reynaldo's Grandfather
Diego Luna .... Carlos
Lia Chapman .... Lolin
Sean Penn .... Cuco Sánchez
Jerzy Skolimowski .... Professor
Aquiles Benites .... Translator
Eva Piaskowska .... Pretty Blonde Student
Patricia Reyes Spíndola .... María Teresa Freye de Andrade
Hector Babenco .... Virgilio Piñera
Marlene Díaz .... Woman in Car #1
Olga Borayo .... Woman in Car #2
Santiago Magill .... Tomás Diego
Manolo García .... Faustino
Lola Schnabel .... Girl With Keys
Ofelia Medina .... Landlady
Lois Barragán .... Woman (UNEAC)
Eduardo Antonio .... Nightclub Singer
Stella Schnabel .... Valeria
Manuel González .... José Lezama Lima
Maurice Compte .... Nicolás Abreu
Claudette Maillé .... María Luisa Lima
John Ortiz .... Juan Abreu
Vincent Laresca .... José Abreu
Rene Rivera .... Recruit Driver
Chanel Puertas .... Blonde on the Beach
Manolo Rivero .... Royal Gay
Nemo .... Pedro the Bus Driver
Andrea Fassler .... French Tourist
Magda .... Santería Dancer
Julian Bucio .... Violent Soldier
Jorge Zárate .... Prosecutor
Najwa Nimri .... Fina Zorrilla Ochoa
Francisco Gattorno .... Jorge Camacho
Marisol Padilla Sánchez .... Margarita Camacho
Jorge Zamora .... Kid with Kite
Noel Medina .... Policeman on Beach
Jorge Zepeda .... State Security on Beach
Yulian Díaz .... Teenager #1
Eduardo Arroyuelo .... Teenager #2
Antonio Zavala .... Stranger in Lenin Park
Eloy Ganuza .... State Security in Lenin Park
Khotan .... Young Man with Bird
René Pereyra .... Antonio
Abel Woolrich .... Hungry Inmate
Mario Oliver .... Gay Inmate
Robertico Valdez .... Singing Prisoner
Claudio Osoria .... Guard at El Morro
Alfredo Villa .... Armando García
Diahnne Déa .... Blanca Romero
Caridad Martinez .... Dancer in the Convent
Zulema Cruz .... Zulema
Annie Gil .... Blanca's Teenage Daughter
Filiberto Estrella .... Dwarf
Juan Cristóbal Murillo .... Immigration Officer
Melanio Filiberto Hebra .... Man at Mariel Harbor
Matthias Ehrenberg .... Officer at Mariel Harbor
Jack Schnabel .... Mr. Greenberg
Esther G. Schnabel .... Mrs. Greenberg (as Esther Schnabel)
Xavier Domingo .... Death
Eric Springer .... Orderly
Jimmy Nugent .... Taxi Driver

rest of cast listed alphabetically
Fidel Castro .... Himself (anti-Marielito speech) (uncredited) (archive footage)

Produced by
Matthias Ehrenberg .... associate producer
Olatz Lopez Garmendia .... executive producer
Jon Kilik .... producer
Julian Schnabel .... executive producer

Original Music by
Laurie Anderson (additional music)
Carter Burwell
Ennio Morricone (song "Surrounding The Casbah")
Lou Reed (additional music)

Non-Original Music by
Gustav Mahler (adagietto from "Symphony 5")

Cinematography by
Xavier Pérez Grobet
Guillermo Rosas

Film Editing by
Michael Berenbaum

Production Design by
Salvador Parra

Art Direction by
Antonio Muño-Hierro

Set Decoration by
Laurie Friedman

Costume Design by
María Estela Fernández






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