Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE BROTHERS [Miami Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The universality of music is an interesting lightning rod in bridging worlds. But sometimes it is the space that creates different ideas of how things should be. In "The Brothers" [Documentary Achievement Award] following musical brothers Aldo López-Gavilán and Ilmar Gavilan, the path is very dynamic but also hard to comprehend, not in the film, but in life because the story goes so much deeper. In reality, the film only scratches the surface. The film covers the aspect of Ilmar who left Cuba with his mother and made a home elsewhere (Moscow sounds like where they went). But they leave his father and his brother Aldo behind. It seems such a hard choice but the opportunities presented must have been great. But yet the decision is not discussed, only that it was made...and the mother (a concert pianist herself has since passed). The story follows Ilmar trying to get back together with his brother since they hadn't played music since they were kids. The relaxing of certain sanctions in Cuba in terms of America finally during the Obama administration offered a respite and the ability for them finally to meet.

Their father, a conductor also, lives in Havana. While the movie deals with the music, it is interesting how it sets up Aldo's lifestyle in as much as it influences his music. He is very transparent about rations from the Cuban government and how it helps in an interesting way. But his comments also speak to how he has to look after certain extraneous elements that most concert pianists shouldn't do: like fixing the lights when he is playing the concert hall. Aldo and his father speak about how the arts in Cuba in many ways are put first (even though the social structure is flawed). This of course is a different story than something like "Havana Libre" (which we covered at Big Sky Doc Film Festival) addressed. But it does show an interesting timeline as artistic luminaries were able to come down to Cuba and work with Aldo (including Smokey Robinson and Dave Matthews) during that brief window. He also dueted with violinist Joshua Bell.

All this time ilmar had been establishing himself and playing with the Harlem String Quartet and establishing his family in the NYC area. When Donald Trump imposes the sanctions again on Cuba to a point, it is an interesting dynamic. Aldo loves his country but has to play by the rules. After being allowed to do many things when sanctions had been relaxed, the restrictions on visas are back in place (especially from the US side) so it becomes a battle again. It is an interesting irony but speaks to the ideas of politics that are being played. However, the final shots and the music that accompanies it though shows the essence of hope in all its shapes and forms, despite distances ,both literally and figuratively. B+

By Tim Wassberg