1979 Managua, Nicaragua for ABC.wmv

1979, Documentary film by Detroit Annie in Managua, Nicaragua, around Xmas - I was commuting between Brussels and Paris, had a enough (from doing the Tambacounda documentary) for a ticket to see Jesse in Costa Rica for Xmas, and had inside info about the Nicaraguan revolution about to happen, so arranged with ABC news (whom I'd worked with before in Ny) to cover it freelance while I was on that side of the globe. Arrived ok, ABC called and wanted me to go to Managua right away to film a demonstration - I said look, I'm not rich, can't go twice, and have inside info that the real revolution will be in ten days, not now - they insisted, promised to reimburse planefare, have a hotel room waiting and a local chauffeur, all the film I'd need, by courrier plane, no problem - so I went. Immediately, Somoza shut down the phones, airports and roads, no way out. At the hotel they'd received no instructions about me, the previous stringer was leaving and wouldn't even let me use the shower! A woman who worked at the airport and remembered me, let me stay at her very modest home, (dangerous section of town) called an uncle who happened to be pals with the revolutionary leader Eden Pastora, to arrange an interview, and took me to the demonstration - which looked like any other demonstration - but I filmed it and put the rolls on the courrier plane expecting blank rolls to keep shooting - they didn't come. Next day the central telephone standard was opened and I called ABC (collect ...

 

Tags: Managua, Nicaragua, Sandinista Revolution, Somoza, Eden Pastora, Comandante Zero

 

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