We found Ian in the corridors of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, with his eternal New York Yankees cap and an instant smile he is willing to return all the expressions of sympathy received. OnCuba had a short conversation with him, just a few minutes stolen from his time to discuss professional challenges and his immediate projects. Have you ever imagined what would be the human face of Elpidio Valdés? It seems that Ian has thought of that.
Ian Padrón, in case anyone does not know it yet, is the son of the legendary Juan Padrón, creator of Vampires in Havana and Elpidio Valdés, a man who set his seal to generations of Cubans, planting his characters, phrases and situations in the imagination of an entire country.
That night his father was honored at the 35th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema with a Honorific Coral, a deserved award for someone who has turned cartoons into art and occupied irreplaceable place in the hearts of people.
What extra pressure means to you being the son of Juan Padrón and pursue fulfillment in Cuba?
“Above all, being his son is a luxury. My father is a person who breathes talent, has humorous creativity for breakfast and lunch, so sharing with him is a privilege. Maybe that’s why , as his son , it is more difficult for people to recognize your job, something that helped me a lot, because I had to work twice as hard to do something different and create my own name.
“If he had been a cigar roller or worker, I would be the Padron in the family, but in the end I’ll always be the son of Juan Padrón and that makes me proud. I have even signed some of my works as The son of Juan Padrón.
“Besides, from my father I learned humility and respect to Cuban culture above all. I remember a book fair with an edition of 10,000 copies of Elpidio and that day people made a row for my dad to sign copies, then after over an hour in the sun, writing autographs and doing the odd drawing, he was obviously tired. When I approached him to ask him to rest he said, “As long as a child or a person interested in my signing the book, I am not moving from here.”
“Those kind of things I learned from him, who is one of the popular country most beloved creators and remains an ordinary Cuban, literally, he does not have a car, but knows that the likelihood of success cannot turn us into other people. “
Ian talks while looking at everything, as if trying to capture every second of life that boils around. He raises his sweater zipper and lowers his hat with the imperturbable calm of an experienced pitcher.
At 37 years of age he is one of the most respected visual artists of his generation, dabbling in almost every field of realization. However, upon arrival to the public occurred in 2002 with a documentary that changed the way we understand baseball in Cuba.
In Fuera de Liga you interviewed an iconic pitcher of the capital, who later was one of the stars of Major League Baseball. What memories do you keep of your encounter with Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez?
“At that time did not know any of the players I interviewed. Neither here, nor there. I looked in the phone book, I finally got his representative and as we explained that it was a documentary about Industriales he separated an space in his agenda for us.
“We met at Yankee Stadium after a game at 1:00 am. As we had no time we did the interview in his car on his way home. Actually it was an experience that marked me as a filmmaker, because I found that there are many Cubans abroad respecting its past and its people.
“It was a mutual show of respect, and how should the relationship be between those who have tried their luck out and who decided to stay at home.
“That happened in 2002 but I remember it as if it were today. I was very young and it changed the way I see things. He was an athlete who surprised me by its high criteria of Cuban baseball, past here and respect towards Cubans. I appreciate that as a lesson for life. “
The film marked a before and after in the form of addressing the issue of baseball and the migration of athletes, did you think it would have such an impact then?
“I made Fuera de Liga out of respect for players, sports and culture, but I never imagined it would be censored, that it would have such impact on the people and change my career.
“Before I had done other things, however, the controversy this documentary sparked put me and people knew who Ian Padrón was after Fuera de Liga. I would have preferred that they had not censored, but that’s life and you cannot change it.
“Now that I am 37 y is that I’m managing to make audiovisual works close to how I like them. Before I was learning and more concerned with making, than in the how, more focused on proving I could tell a story well, make a documentary, make people laugh or mourn. In those moments you are so focused on work that the success or the possibility of success is not going through your mind, almost always in that state it works out best. ”
His latest production has focused on the music videos, space where he has positioned himself very strongly through his work with the duo Buena Fe and a solid proposal that does not go to easy doing to earn the public.
Documentary or clip?? Which one are you most comfortable with?
“In this country is complex to make a competitive audiovisual material for the high quality shown by the filmmakers. For me, making a good video clip is as difficult as making a documentary or a film. In my case, I think the film is more perishable, but I find it appealing that the clip you start to think about today and perhaps in less than a month you see the finished work.
“I have no preference for either genre, I feel good at all and somehow each one fills a void in my life.”
You have tackled topics such as migration, sexuality, music, sport and the construction of nationality from the physical distance. Is fully conscious or deliberate?
Cuban filmmakers have tried to show the time and the conflicts in which they lived, the things that they can improve in society at all times. I’m no stranger to that; I am part of that tradition which attempts to reflect these issues.
Rather topics choose me because of my personality, because I think the reality must be faced and told, because the more you question and deepen is best for society. Often Cuban audiovisual, especially the informative part of television, is very passive with the problems of Cuban society, that’s what a group of artists have tried to fight with our work.
Any new projects?
“I’m very disappointed that in Cuba we do not respect the popular film, the one that manages to connect with the Cubans. I thought after I made Habanastation it would be simpler to re-shoot a second film, but it has not happened.
“The project, the dream that I have today is going to be very controversial and interesting at the same time: I want to make a film of Elpidio Valdés, making it with actors.”
The weight of the news clears any other idea. For seconds I imagine the show, I forgot to take notes and just focus on the wonderful chance. Who would lend his face for the mambí? The idea goes round my mind constantly.
That very instant I rule out the box office failure hypothesis: this would be a film that would sweep; one of those that everyone would see to meet again with children with a way to tell the story that has penetrated deeply among the inhabitants of this island.
Ian takes me out my thoughts; keep talking without stopping, now with a bit of regret in his eyes, as if the subject became something unpleasant for him.
“I think the epic film, the mambises, owes a great debt to the Cuban culture. No film on this subject that has really connected with the people, with the little ones. Today our children want to be like Spiderman, Pokemon, Superman … but no mambises. We have a generation that yes, knows Elpidio, but not like ours that could recite most of the parliaments of the cartoons. “
“That’s my big project immediately, but I have not found the support that I thought might a proposal of this type have, so I do not know when I can do it really. Meanwhile, I keep doing video clips; enjoy my children, and wait. Overall Latin American filmmaker has to wait long between films, it is very sad because this job requires added work.
“We shot Habanastation in 2009, four years and a half ago, almost five. The worst is that the best years of your life, the more creative, and the raisins waiting for the budget appears. Those are the rules, and those of us that have been living in Cuba know it. I hope that next year circumstances change. “
