Television

Fidel Castro is one of the world's best known and most recognizable political leaders, but he is also among the most mysterious. While Castro became a household name after overthrowing the rule of Fulgenico Batista and became the head of Cuba's new socialist government, little is known of his private life or the man behind the façade of his shaggy beard and omnipresent cigar. Fidel is a documentary by filmmaker Estela Bravo, who combines vintage newsreel footage with exclusive recent interviews which offer an insight into both Castro the leader, struggling to face the political and economic realities of the post-Soviet global environment, and Castro the man, as he tours his childhood home, goes swimming, and visits with his friends. Fidel also includes interviews with people who know or have met Castro, including Nelson Mandela, Muhammed Ali, Harry Belafonte, Alice Walker, Ted Turner, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Actress Salma Hayek makes her directorial debut with this heartwarming drama based on the novel by Theodore Taylor. José (Eddy Martin) is a young boy from Mexico who sneaks into the United States in search of his father, a migrant worker. On the run with an injured arm and looking for a place to rest, José sneaks into a church in San Ramos, CA, and hides in a scaffolding above the pulpit. Blood from José's arm drips onto a statue of Christ, and the next morning when Josephina (Soledad St. Hilaire), a devoted member of the congregation, arrives for her daily prayers, she's convinced that the plaster figure is weeping tears of blood. Father Russell (Peter Fonda), the parish priest, isn't sure if this is a genuine miracle or not, though given the town's financial woes and his own waning faith, the timing would be good for one. As Father Russell tries to determine just what has happened, Josephina begins spreading word of the miracle, as and the story spreads, it becomes increasingly embellished. Soon curious believers and intrigued skeptics flood San Ramos, boosting the town's sagging economy, with Maisie (Mare Winningham), proprietor of the local cafe, one of the prime beneficiaries. Maisie, however, has also discovered and taken in José, and when she and her friend Cruz (Ruben Blades) learn the truth about the weeping statue, they're unsure if they should tell the townspeople just what has happened. The Maldonado Miracle was produced for cable television broadcast in a partnership between Hallmark Productions and the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The south-of-the-border equivalent of Saturday Night Live, Mexico's La Hora Pico offers sketch comedy served up with a dash of celebrity and a heaping helping of irreverence. Now stateside audiences can witness all the hilarity firsthand as La Hora Pico makes its way to the U.S. for the first time. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

One of Brazil's leading singer/songwriters, Caetano Veloso, pays homage to the traditions of Latin American music in this concert video. Caetano Veloso: Un Caballero de Fina Estampa features Veloso and an acoustic ensemble performing a set of classic Brazilian songs during a 1995 show in Rio de Janeiro. Selections include "O Samba e o Tango," "Cucurrucucú Paloma," "Fina Estampa," "Soy Loco Por Ti, América," "Rumba Azul," and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Lo Mejor de Derbez en Cuando, Vol. 1 features a number of skits from the comedy show made famous by the versatile comic performer Eugenio Derbez. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Bienvenidos is a popular sketch comedy show in Spanish-speaking countries, and has been a ratings winner for American Spanish-language cable and satellite stations. Bienvenidos en el Restaurant contains a sampling of sketches from the show, all of which transpire in public eateries. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

One man's success brings out the evil instincts in his enemy in this drama from Mexico. Don Pancho Murguia is an honest man who has built a successful business making tequila, which is regarded as the best Mexico has to offer. But he has a bitter rival in Mateo San Juan, whose corruption matches Don Pancho's skills. Determined to overtake Don Pancho in the marketplace, Mateo and his men set out to steal the elusive formula to his tequila, and when this proves difficult, Mateo declares that human lives are not too high a price to get what he wants. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Known to his fans as "El Polivoz," Enrique Cuenca was one of Mexico's most beloved funnymen, best remembered for such hilarious characters as the threadbare Frenchman Monsieur, short-tempered opera singer Fasolasi, and Alpaca Echo, a man with a bad habit of saying things over and over again. Lo Mejor Del Show De Enrique el Polivoz Cuenca is a collection of classic sketches from his long-running television series, capturing this comic at his very best. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide