Chevolution

Chevolution is a 2008 documentary film which examines the history and legacy of the photo Guerrillero Heroico taken by famous Cuban photographer Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez. This image has thrived for the decades since Che Guevara's death and has evolved into an iconic image, which represents a multitude of ideals. The documentary explores the story of how the photo came to be, its adoption of multiple interpretations and meanings, as well as the commercialization of the image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Chevolution utilizes historic images and a multitude of artists, musicians, photographers,actors, academics, friends, fans, and acquaintances to explore the contrasting themes of “communism and capitalism, idealism and opportunism, art and commerce and how they have interacted and operated on the same materials during the past half century.”

In the documentary Chevolution, Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez is an essential character in the creation and reproduction of Che as an icon. Alberto Korda was a well-known Cuban fashion photographer and socialite. The documentary explains how after capturing a powerful image of a poor infant Cuban girl, which he titled La Niña, he decided to leave the fashion world and use his photographic talent to promote and document the Cuban Revolution. Korda began taking pictures for the propaganda newspaper Revolución. The documentary also provides an anecdote about Korda asking Che if he could take his picture, Guevara responded by asking Korda where he was from and if he had ever cut sugar. Korda informed him that he was from Havana and had never cut sugar. Guevara stipulated that once Korda had cut sugar cane for a week, he would be free to take Guevara's picture.

Chevolution commemorates when Korda snapped the photo at the massive funeral in the Plaza de Revolución for those who had died in the bombing of a boat carrying weapons from Belgium, La Coubre, in Havana Harbor. Korda was fortunate to captured only two photos of Guevara that day and after submitting them, the newspaper chose not to use them. One of the two photos included the Guerillero Heroico. Living in communist Cuba, copyright laws were non-existent so Korda initially obtained no rights to the portrait.

Chevolution explains how the politically radical, outspoken, and self-proclaimed communist Giangiacomo Feltrinelli was the first to mass-produce the photo by producing hundreds of thousands of posters of the image. Feltrinelli printed these posters with “copyright Feltrinelli 1976” in the bottom left hand corner giving no credit to Korda. This has caused some controversy as some, including Korda, claim that Feltrinelli made a lot of money from the image while others contest that this is simply not true.

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