By Elizabeth Cloutman
 Photo by Monique Schoenfeld, Town Crier |
Swimwear maker to premiere his new feature-length movie April 29 in San Francisco
When Bob Anderson’s first movie, “What about Cuba!” premieres April 29 in San Francisco, it will be the culmination of a lifelong dream of making a feature-length movie.
“Endless people want to get involved in the movie business, but never do it,” said Anderson, a Los Altos resident since 1969. “My approach to life is if you love doing something, just do it. I jumped into movie-making with two feet.”
Anderson’s description of “jumping into” movie-making is apt. “What about Cuba!” was not only the first movie he had ever made, but it was shot on location in a Communist country with which the United States broke diplomatic ties more than 40 years ago.
Officials from Cuba’s Video Commission were on the set at all times. “They were paranoid about Cuba being portrayed in a positive light,” said Catherine Cross, Anderson’s wife.
Officials needn’t have worried. “What about Cuba!” is not a film about politics, Anderson said, but the story of an ordinary young woman with a big dream. Danielle, who works in a Havana cigar factory, has a dilemma. She has to decide whether she wants to leave a man and a country she loves to become a world-famous model, after she is discovered by a visiting American fashion photography crew.
Anderson, 53, said he decided to make the movie out of his love for the country. He wrote and directed the movie, and co-produced it with Canadian Robert Laing.
“I was able to capture real people at work in the cigar factory and in their homes,” Anderson said. “This is a great glimpse of Havana (and) a lot of the Cuban people. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.”
Developing his other lifelong interests, running and women’s swimwear, into businesses has brought Anderson considerable success.
The entrepreneur founded Runner’s World magazine while living in Manhattan, Kansas, and sold it to Rodale Press in 1984. Anderson then founded Ujena Swimwear, a thriving Mountain View-based mail order and Internet clothing company.
“What about Cuba!” stars Bay Area actors Cory Duval (”Nash Bridges”) and Henry DiGiovanni, as well as Danielle Mayo, who emigrated from Cuba with only an airline ticket and $36 in her pocket. Also featured are Cuban actors Tissana Laffile and Rosa Medel.
The soundtrack includes original music by Cuba Cafe Express, a popular Cuban group. The 100-minute movie will have its world premiere at 5 p.m., April 29, at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St., in San Francisco.
There will be a second showing at 7:30 p.m. Complimentary tickets are available for the 5 p.m. show by e-mailing ujena@msn.com.
Anderson’s next goals are to get “What about Cuba!” distributed to movie theaters nationwide and to begin his second movie, “What about Brazil!”
“I just love challenges,” Anderson said.
