Before Night Falls (film)

Before Night Falls is a 2000 American drama film directed by Julian Schnabel. The screenplay is based on the autobiography of the same name of Reinaldo Arenas, which was published in English in 1993. The screenplay was written by Schnabel, Cunningham OKeefe, and Lzaro Gmez Carriles. The film stars Javier Bardem, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, Johnny Depp, Olivier Martinez, Andrea Di Stefano, Santiago Magill, and Michael Wincott.

Before Night Falls is based on the autobiography of the same name by Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas. In the film, Arenas, who was openly gay, is born in Oriente in 1943 and raised by his single mother and her parents, who soon move the entire family to Holgun. After moving to Havana in the sixties to continue his studies, Reinaldo begins to explore his ambitions, as well as his sexuality. After receiving an honorary mention in a writing contest, Arenas is offered the chance to publish his first work. Through his work and friendships with other openly gay men such as Pepe Malas and Tomas Diego, Arenas manages to find himself.The political climate in Cuba becomes increasingly dangerous, and in the early seventies Arenas is arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting minors, and for publishing abroad without official consent. In the next decade, Arenas is in and out of prison, attempting and failing to leave the country several times. ........

Source: Wikipedia