EVITA (2007) THE DOCUMENTARY Long after Evita’s corpse was embalmed and secretly buried under a fictitious name in Milan, the former First Lady of Argentina once again was catapulted to fame after Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical. A few years later, Alan Parker’s movie adaptation of the same would contribute the necessary ingredients to transform a historical character into a Hollywood fantasy of mythical proportions. But the complexity of the circumstances surrounding her life, her quest for glory and tragic ending deserved a more realistic approach and that is exactly what Eduardo Montes-Bradley accomplished with his outstanding portrait of the legendary woman. “Evita”, the documentary, unveils the genuine and ambiguous nature of the young actress that ruled -with iron fist- the lives of millions. More than three thousand photographs, hundreds of hours of archival footage and recordings produced by the Peronist propaganda machine half a century ago, were unearthed and meticulously researched to bring this dynamic, larger-than-life protagonist back to life. “Evita”, by Eduardo Montes-Bradley, spares no conflict, nor softens the sharp edges of a questionable life placing the unfeigned character back in her real dimension.   Running time: 64 min. BUY NOW CHE: RISE & FALL  (2006) Reviews Numerous joualists have described with pointed accuracy the vast interwoven tapestry that was Communist revolutionary Eesto 'Che' Guevara's life - from his youth in Alta Gracia, to his tenure as a politician in post-1959 Havana, to his tragic execution in October 1967. With his hour-long Spanish-language documentary Che: Rise and Fall, Eduardo Montes-Bradley provides a concise biographical overview of Che's life, keeping his eye on both Guevara's life-jouey and the nearly impenetrable mythos that developed around him and quickly became inseparable from the man himself. The work intercuts key archival clips with interviews featuring those who knew and worked with Che, including Dr. Alberto Granados and three surviving members of Guevara's personal guard. ~ Nathan Southe, All Movie Guide What distinguishes this documentary about Eesto “Che “ Guevara, the Argentina-bo hero of the mid-20th century Cuban revolution, is the fact that even though filmmaker Eduardo Montes-Bradley’s Che features a wealth of archival stills and film footage, it’s essentially an oral history, told by those who actually knew the man. The key figure here is definitely Dr. Alberto Granados, a friend who accompanied Guevara on the 1951 motorcycle trip through South America that acted as a catalyst for the young man's revolutionary leanings. Although tilting to the left himself, Granados remained focused on a life of scientific investigation rather than political activism, but continued his friendship with Guevara and eventually joined him in Cuba. Other interviewees here were part of Che's contingent of bodyguards or served with him on military campaigns, and their recollections have a homely, down-to-earth quality, noting-for instance-the way he punished them for infractions of discipline, but also discussing his leadership qualities and strength of character. All interviewees (whose comments are supplemented by brief written texts that offer fuller historical data) are fundamentally complimentary toward Che, though they don't shy away from admitting that Guevara's efforts to export his guerilla tactics to Africa and South America were a failure. Che begins with an account of Guevara's death in Bolivia in 1967 and fittingly ends with footage of the retu of his remains for intement in a monument in Santa Clara's Revolution Square some 30 years later. Recommended. [Note: also newly available is filmmaker Eduardo Montes-Bradley's Evita.] Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek).  BUY NOW