About this Event
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On 13 November, 6–9pm, BBC journalist and photographer Giovanni Bello launches and signs Se murió Fidel (VENTO LESTE), his debut photobook, at Photobook Cafe in London, ahead of the tenth anniversary of Fidel Castro’s death.
The starting point is a coincidence: Bello was on holiday in Havana when Fidel’s death was announced. Without a press credential, he photographed anyway, staying in the streets, away from the official stands. Over the following nine days, he moved among the crowds of Havana and Santiago de Cuba during the national mourning.
Part visual reportage, part personal essay, the book portrays a nation at a pivotal moment of transition, in the days immediately after Castro’s death in 2016. Its release coincides with two anniversaries: the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth, in August, and the tenth anniversary of his death, on 25 November.
The trilingual publication (Spanish, Portuguese, and English), published by Vento Leste, has been presented at Photo London (UK), Les Rencontres d’Arles (France) and Flip (Brazil). Copies are available at The Photographer’s Gallery bookshop (London), Leporello Books (Rome), Lata Peinada (Barcelona), Livraria da Vila (São Paulo).
The work opens with a text essay that blends reportage, memoir and personal reflection, followed by the photo sequence: 66 pictures, in colour, sequenced from the first moments of mourning to the funeral procession in Santiago. It offers a journalistic yet personal view of a historic moment seen from the inside, among the people, with camera and notebook.
Agenda
🕑: 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Chat, book signing and drinks
Event venue & nearby stays
The Photobook Cáfe UK, 4 Leonard Circus, London, United Kingdom
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