Marti: The Eye of the Canary (2010)

The formative years of Cuban national hero José Julián Martí Pérez are explored in Fernando Pérez's handsome, robust historical epic, set during the 1860s in colonial Havana. Martí, The Eye of the Canary follows "El Apóstol" from the age of 9 to 17, as he is played with deep conviction by Daniel Romero as he experiences firsthand the often brutal inequalities of Spanish colonial rule, and feels the fire of injustice rise within him. Through patient detail, Pérez charts the changing spiritual tide and dawning political consciousness within Martí. It is said that every Cuban has their own Martí; Perez's majestic, generous film is an invitation to both discover and rediscover.