Synopsis
The story of five Cuban undercover agents sent to Miami during the 1990s.
Verdict
Directed by Gary Lennon and Ollie Aslin, Castro’s Spies is an intriguing look at five people who left their ordinary lives behind to spy for their country.
The documentary gives viewers a crash course in Cuban-US relations in the 20th century, before focusing on five Cuban men who were sent to Miami with false identities in the 1990s. Their mission? Send back information that could warn the Cuban government of any imminent US attacks.
For espionage and tradecraft fans there is a lot to be impressed by here. With extremely limited budget and resources, the ‘Cuban Five’ managed to run successful undercover missions for many years, seemingly powered by their own smarts and strength of will.
There is not one ice-cold martini or Aston Martin to be found among these agents – instead they drive broken down cars, live in shabby apartments, and take low-paying jobs miles away from their families.
We also hear from two main players on the other side of the fence. US Attorney Guy A. Lewis argues that the five deserve to be behind bars for life. More interesting is the viewpoint and larger story of José Basulto, a Cuban exile and founder of ‘Brothers to the Rescue’ an organization of pilots and small planes which assisted refugees emigrating from Cuba to the US.
Stylistically, Castro’s Spies avoids the pitfalls of hokey dramatic re-enactments, instead of illustrating its stories using archive footage from a Cuban TV show about a daring spy. One-on-one interviews with the key players are interspersed with and played over the footage, keeping things both authentic and visually interesting.
While the history and tradecraft is fascinating, the documentary is most successful when delving into the inner motivations and personal lives of its main subjects.
All of the agents had to leave their old lives and loved ones behind, and step right into a new identity. Some were labelled traitors by their friends and families back home for ‘defecting’ to the US. We hear from some of the five’s wives and children, which provides some of the most humorous and moving parts of the documentary.
Verdict
A fascinating story that foregrounds the incredible skill and commitment of its five main subjects.
