The starting point for Castro\u2019s character is donning the olive-green uniform, the cap, sporting the beard and developing the mannerisms Cubans know from his multi-hour speeches. Then comes that particular way of speaking so well imitated by comedians Armando Roblan<\/a> and Eddy Calder\u00f3n during long seasons in Calle Ocho theaters and on Miami radio.<\/p>\n \u201cComandante Fritz\u201d takes place in the 1970s, beginning with a historical event: Castro gifts one of the keys of the<\/a> Cuban archipelago to the dictator of East Germany, Erich Honecker. From there this tangled comedy unfolds.<\/p>\n Almirante, 43, steps into the shoes of a Fidel of a similar age to his own, recreated with mastery by makeup artists David Mart\u00ed and Montse Rib\u00e9, Oscar winners for Guillermo del Toro\u2019s 2006 hit \u201cPan\u2019s Labyrinth\u201d.<\/p>\n But it takes much more than looking like Castro, and for Carlos Enrique, whose breakout role was as a drag performer in \u201cF\u00e1tima o el parque de la Fraternidad\u201d (2015).<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they asked me in interviews what character I wanted to play, I said a serial killer, a drag queen, some really difficult role, and honestly, I was lucky that it came to me,\u201d Almirante said in an interview with the Nuevo Herald<\/a> in November 2021.<\/p>\n By then he had no idea that \u201cComandante Fritz\u201d director Pavel Giroud would offer him the role of Castro.<\/p>\n \u201cPavel was able to see in me the power of transformation and characterization that was needed,\u201d Almirante said. \u201cAll my focus was on getting as close as possible. There are no half measures with a character like this: either we pull it off perfectly or it becomes a caricature, and that wasn\u2019t the idea for the film nor my working style.\u201d<\/p>\n Almirante was practically born in front of a camera. He is the son of Cuban actor Enrique Almirante, who died in 2007. While on a shoot with his father, he landed his first role in the television adventures \u201cEl drag\u00f3n mamb\u00ed\u201d (1995) on Cuban TV. He was 11 years old.<\/p>\n He then went on to a fruitful film career with directors such as Fernando P\u00e9rez in \u201cMadrigal\u201d (2007) and \u201cLa pared de las palabras\u201d (2014); Venezuelan Fina Torres in \u201cHabana Eva\u201d (2007); and Spanish director Iciar Bolla\u00edn in \u201cYuli \u201c(2018), among other titles.<\/p>\n This has been a good year for Almirante in film. He lives in Miami, where he shot \u201cEva y Ad\u00e1n en Miami,\u201d directed by Lilo Vilaplana, and filmed \u201cComandante Fritz\u201d in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where Havana was recreated.<\/p>\n In this interview Almirante also tells us about his theater plans under director-producer Yusnel Su\u00e1rez, who is changing Miami\u2019s scene with plays that are entertaining, deep, and rooted in current issues, filling venues like the Trail Theater in Calle Ocho.<\/p>\n How did it feel to play Fidel Castro and what did you bring to the character?<\/p>\n I like to go deep, and it was a perfect opportunity to bring out all the facets of a character we all know but have never seen made public. It was our chance to say what was never said and show him as he hadn\u2019t been seen.<\/p>\n Why do Cubans need a comedy like \u2018Comandante Fritz\u2019 right now?<\/p>\n This film contains bits of every genre. A little of everything. But what will grab the audience most is the absurdity. A genre that Arturo Infante, the screenwriter, handles very well in the film. For those who don\u2019t know the history closely it may seem incredible. Fantastical. But we Cubans, who have lived it up close, know that anything can happen on the island.<\/p>\n How does it feel that \u2018Comandante Fritz\u2019 will premiere in the U.S. at the Miami Film Festival?<\/p>\n It\u2019s the best place to premiere and present it. Our community in Miami needs films like this. There couldn\u2019t be a better setting. And we\u2019ll have the chance to experience it together at the festival. For me it\u2019s also a premiere\u2014I haven\u2019t seen the film. I have the same anticipation as the Miami audience.<\/p>\n We know you also premiered the film \u2018Eva y Ad\u00e1n en Miami\u2019 at the Miami Film Festival. What was it like to take part in that film?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a refreshing film directed by Lilo Vilaplana. A production that showcases the city\u2019s splendor and the entanglements of love. It brings together great actors from different nationalities like Mexican Elizabeth Guti\u00e9rrez, Argentine and Puerto Rican Juli\u00e1n Gil and B\u00e1rbara Cuesta from Spain.<\/p>\n My character Romeo represents Cubans in Miami who struggle, work, drive for Uber to make a living and fall in love. We don\u2019t lose that romantic and passionate side we Cubans have. It was lovely to represent my culture and my people in a project we hope will soon premiere in Spain and have a run on festivals and platforms.<\/p>\n How has \u2018Comandante Fritz\u2019 been received in other countries, and what do they say about your portrayal of Castro?<\/p>\n The film has been at various festivals. What surprises me most are the messages from audiences who attended; they look me up on social media to congratulate me and to show their astonishment at the resemblance. No one imagines me in that role. Not even me! And that\u2019s the most interesting part.<\/p>\n What can you tell us about the play \u2018El intercambio,\u2019 and what interested you about the character Richard?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a very well-written comedy that takes us on a one-way journey through couple relationships. It lands us in many current problems and shows us different paths that don\u2019t always work out. It depicts the everyday life of couples and the escape routes that work for some and not for others. What appealed to me most was the cast of friends and actors who share the screen with me. Working again with Cuban director Yusnel Su\u00e1rez is wonderful. We had so much fun together during the process.<\/p>\n Comandante Fritz screens April 17, 7 p.m., Olympia Theater, 174 E Flagler St. miamifilmfestival.com\/collections\/spotlight-on-cuba\/<\/a> The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.<\/p>\n Cuban actor Carlos Enrique Almirante plays Fidel Castro in \u2018Comandante Fritz,\u2019 a dark comedy thriller with touches of the absurd that is screening at the Miami Film Festival. Juan Valero <\/p>\n
Carlos Enrique Almirante undergoing the makeup process to portray Fidel Castro for the film \u2018Comandante Fritz.\u2019 <\/p>\n
![\"Director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MIA_113LiloFilm00NEWPPP.JPG\" "\\"MIA_113LiloFilm00NEWPPP.JPG\\"")
Director Lilo Vilaplana with comedians Alex and Maikito\u2014of the Pichy Boys\u2014and actor Carlos Enrique Almirante (right) during the filming in Miami of the romantic comedy \u2018Eva y Ad\u00e1n en el para\u00edso\u2019, which screened at the Miami Film Festival at the Olympia Theater. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n