Odd People Out (2004)

• 89%
• 2004
• Documentary
• Manuel Zayas
• Reinaldo Arenas
• Jose Roberto Arenas
• Anton Arrufat

Odd People Out (English title for Seres Extravagantes) is a documentary about the process of marginalization, repression and denial of the gay community during the first two decades of the Cuban Revolution, through the eyes and voice of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. He is the main character in an account by other writers and artists who were part of his life, and who were also punished and persecuted by the Cuban regime. A counterpoint to Schnabel's fictional biopic Before Night Falls, Odd People Out constructs a kaleidoscopic depiction of Reinaldo's life, of the Cuban gay community that surrounded him before the revolution, and of the hardships he endured after it. A unique testimony of a unique time and a unique artist, Odd People Out combines rare archival material, including audio recordings of the writer's voice, with contemporary footage clandestinely shot in Cuba.