Well, its not exactly a car flick. But we here at E3 Spark Plugs are looking forward to it nonetheless. Slated for theatrical release later this month, Papa: Hemingway in Cuba is the true story of the relationship between Miami journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc (played by Giovanni Ribisi) and iconic writer Earnest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks). Petitclerc credited Hemingway, lovingly known as “Papa” to his family, friends and fans worldwide, with helping him to find his own literary voice and the film is based on Petitclerc’s autobiographical scrip.
The story takes place in 1959, just when the Cuban Revolution was coming to a boil and Fidel Castro’s rebels were staging violent confrontations against soldiers loyal to the government of Fulgencio Batista. It’s the first Hollywood film shot on location in Havana since ’59 and features shots inside Hemingway’s estate, Finca Vigia.
But here at E3 Spark Plugs, we’re most looking forward to the cinematic parade of classic American cars. Detroit steel flooded the Cuban market with a mid-century economic boom, but the influx came to a screeching halt with the 1960 commercial, economic and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the US in response to human rights violations and troubled diplomatic relations.
The result today is a virtual time capsule of primarily 1940s and 1950s American-made rides, many of which have become collages of various models melded together as breakdowns necessitated and access to American cars alluded the country for more than half a century. Many automotive pundits believe that the recent relaxing and potential end of the trade embargo may prove a mother lode for US collectors looking to bring some of these classic rides back stateside.
In any case, the Papa trailer already has offered up a few glimpses of some pristine classics. Check it out…
