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Danny Glover

Glover and Chávez join forces

Danny Glover is teaming up with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to make a film about a slave uprising.

May 22 2007

In a frankly bizarre piece of film news, Danny Glover is to join forces with the Venezuelan government to make a film about iconic revolutionary Toussaint Louverture.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his congress have granted the 'Lethal Weapon' star nearly $18m to shoot the story of the slave uprising led by Louverture in Haiti in the 18th century, which he hopes will help his efforts to mobilise world opinion against imperialism and western oppression.

The film, entitled 'Toussaint', will chronicle Louverture's campaigns against British, Spanish and French troops that paved the way for Haiti's independence, before his betrayal, capture, exile and eventual death in 1803.

There's no news of a start date yet, but Glover, who is a vocal supporter of Chávez's radical leftwing politics, told the Guardian 'It's so advanced that you can taste it. We've scouted locations within 75km of Caracas. I can do everything I need to do with the film from here.'

And if successful, Chávez plans to take on Hollywood at its own game through his newly created Villa del Cine studio, with an adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez's 'The General in his Labyrinth' and a biopic of revolutionary Francisco Miranda in the works.

User comments on this story

goudou said...

I think the times has arrived for the haitian heroes to be the mainstrem of the media, and why not the hollywoods because after all, we can still dominate and be an example for the others. I'm glad that Chavez is taking the responsibility to fund this film, and I congratulate him for his effort in the region. Posted on May 23 2007 17:17

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Jean said...

I agree with you all. Toussain Louverture should have had a movie done about his life a long time ago. He was ..is.. and will remain the greatest anti-imperialism ruler of all time.But since he was black they under estimate his works and visions and that is why Haiti is now the poorest country in the western hemisphere... Posted on May 23 2007 07:46

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April said...

I agree with you Frank.
The little I know about Toussaint Louverture I didn't get it from the mainstream media... I have wondered why such a powerful diplomat and revolutionary has not had a movie done about his life. I guessed it was because he was black and he was good at defeating the greatest imperialists of his time.
I think that this is a very good news! Posted on May 23 2007 00:23

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frank said...

This is great!
The imperialists have been trying to have only their say about the great revolutions that happened in the history of the world.
Toussaint Louverture, that haitian man was one of the greatest strategist ever and it's good that some people like Glover and Chavez are trying to help the world get a glimpse of who he was. Posted on May 23 2007 00:17

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