>> buenos d^as y bienvenidos. i'm still getting used to the new look. good morning. welcome once again to "tiempo." i'm joe torres. the story of dominican screen siren mar^a montez, who was one of the first latina actors to grace the silver screen back in the 1940s, is now the subject of a movie that comes to theaters in our area this week. we will talk to the star, who's also the producer of the film. that's coming up in just a few minutes. right now, though, pope francis and his historic trip to cuba. he rode in an open-air popemobile, as he often does. he even stopped to kiss children. he met face-to-face with ailing fidel castro. the pontiff urged the cuban and u.s. governments to push ahead on their renewed path toward full diplomatic relations. >> his message was a simple one to both the faithful and the hopeful. >> [ speaking spanish ]

>> interpreter: jesus always comes with the logic of love. >> pope francis delivered mass and prayed with tens of thousands of cubans in havana. he arrived at the revolutionary plaza in his famous popemobile, stopping to greet the men, women, and children who came in the early-morning hours to see him. >> interpreter: to serve means to take care of the fragile ones in our families, in our society, in our people. >> in attendance at the mass, cuban president ra`l castro, who recently said that this pope has inspired him to consider joining the catholic church. >> interpreter: thank you to you, mr. president, for all that you do in this work of reconciliation. >> francis' visit to cuba comes at a time of major change for the small island nation. he was a key player in negotiations that led to the restoration of diplomatic ties between the u.s. and cuba, an example of the political influence wielded by this global religious leader. >> interpreter: who will want to

not to serve himself from the others. >> in havana, i'm polo sandoval. >> here now to discuss the pontiff's trip and what it means for the people of cuba -- our good friend vito echevarria, the journalist with the "cuba standard" online publication, antonio nadal, latino studies professor emeritus at brooklyn college cuny, samuel farber, professor emeritus, political science, and a book author, as well. welcome to all of you. oh, plus, and good to have you back, my friend. >> it's great. >> and i understand you're going to the island soon, right? >> oh, yeah. [ laughs ] >> business or pleasure? >> little of both. >> little of both. all right. well, keep us posted. there. >> oh, yeah, definitely. >> following up on the pope's trip, president ra`l castro has granted in recent months more, shall we say, religious freedom to the people on the island. what do you think the pope's visit will do to continue that? >> well, basically, the pope's mere presence on the island is basically to assure the changes are going on at various levels,

everything from religion to the relations between cuba and the united states. >> mm-hmm. antonio, same question. i mean, do you think those religious freedoms and what he's allowed people to do -- how to exercise that -- will grow more as a result of the pope's visit? >> i believe so, especially given the image that this pope has been projecting throughout the world, in latin america, as well as in the united states. >> what is that image, in your eyes? >> well, i think that the visit of the pope is precisely about what he said in one of his last speeches -- we need more space, that we're asking for more space in cuba, particularly in terms of the media. >> mm-hmm. >> and the crown jewel for the catholic church in cuba would be access to education. >> mm-hmm. you pointed out a very interesting fact to me before we even started. this is the third pope -- right? -- to visit the island. and only one other latin american nation can make that claim. >> and that's brazil. >> brazil. >> right. >> so, what does that tell you about how the popes feel about this particular island in the caribbean? >> well, i think that the pope

even though 50% of the cuban population is nominally catholic. only about 5% is actually practicing catholic. >> yeah. >> and that's what they want, that space in the media, in the schools. a lot of buildings have been returned to the church. they want more of that. so, they think, with those additional assets, they will be able to certainly increase the membership in the practitioners. >> this all happening on an island that was officially declared atheist -- correct? -- back in 1959. >> when the revolution occurred, yeah. >> okay. this is the third pope to visit the island. in your estimation, how is this pope's visit any different than the previous popes, which were john paul ii and pope benedict? >> well, this particular pope -- the significance is the fact that, you know, he's pushed through other changes, especially the diplomatic ones between the two countries. >> yes. >> so, there's a higher expectation of this particular pope doing more with cuba than the previous two, who -- their mere presence was enough. >> mm-hmm.

hope for the people, as a result of the pope? >> yeah, i think his narrative basically on issues of income inequality throughout the world, global warming, issues like that, which are contentious here in the united states or wherever -- that he's taken positions that have been somewhat radical in that sense. >> all right. sit tight. i want to ask you about some of those positions. he talked a lot about poverty, and he talked about wealth, as well. so, we'll talk about that when we come back on "tiempo," more on the pontiff's trip to cuba. still ahead on "tiempo," "maria montez: the movie," about one of the first latina actresses in hollywood. it hits theaters in our area soon. we'll talk to the star of the movie, as well. also, in celebration of hispanic heritage month, we'll tell you about a free art exhibit called we are you project: an exhibition on social justice and immigration.

>> we have been discussing this morning the pope's recent trip to cuba, what it means for the people there. enlightening us this morning, vito echevarria, the journalist with the "cuba standard" online publication, antonio nadal, emeritus professor there at brooklyn college, and his good friend samuel farber, also a professor emeritus and a book author, as well. we cannot discuss the trip without talking about the meeting between the pope and fidel. you saw the pictures. we hadn't seen pictures or video of fidel in quite some time. your thoughts on that meeting. >> yeah, basically that definitely was symbolic, the mere fact that the two were in the same room together discussing the issues of the day affecting the local people in cuba. i'm sure fidel did mention to

the pope the fact that both he and his brother ra`l actually went to prep school, a place called colegio de dolores, in santiago de cuba... >> in santiago, right. >> ...you know, where much of the country's elite basically went to school before the revolution. >> but we've pointed out that fidel and ra`l, who joked about returning to the catholic church or becoming catholic -- atheists, and here they are meeting with one of the holiest people on earth. your thoughts on that, antonio. >> well, i think it's related very much to the fact that the pope was instrumental in brokering this rapprochement that's taking place between cuba and the united states. so, i would think that, in spite of the fact that we think of fidel castro as being out of the picture now 'cause he's old and frail, which i don't believe for a minute -- >> i don't think many people do. [ laughter ] >> but i think that relates to the political situation and how the relationship between cuba and the united states has changed. >> so, you wouldn't be surprised if there was a continued conversation from the pope to fidel that says, "yeah, keep it going." >> i don't think that the visit

to fidel was the real important one. i think the discussion with ra`l castro must have been the key one because there is where they may have broached the issue of the concessions, the institutional concession that the church is very much interested in pursuing... >> mm-hmm. >> ...and which ra`l castro has a way of strengthening the legitimacy of the cuban government in the international arena, as well as with catholics in cuba, is willing to trade concessions, mutual concessions. so, that discussion was the meaty one. in my opinion, it was the substantive one. >> yes, the substantive one, between him and ra`l. the pope talked a lot about poverty, talked a lot about wealth there. he avoided -- right? -- political statements. but there was a slight criticism of socialismo. >> as a little piece of it, you know, but the bottom line was, you know, the pope was really there to just push along the changes among the different segments of society there. what impact do you think the pope's message can have, then, on the lives of cubans?

now, five years from now, can you look back at this visit and say, "that was a turning point in one way or shape or form"? >> i think so. i think that a 53-year-old, you know, embargo on cuba, et cetera, convinced not only ordinary cubans, of course, in cuba that i think overwhelmingly wanted to see that kind of arrangement to end... >> right. >> ...but the extension that it has worldwide because in the united states there's been continued support among all latinos for ending the embargo. >> professor, farber, the pope also called for the church to embrace a spirit of poverty, saying that wealth takes away the best of us. i look at that and would say, "i don't think wealth is too much of a concern or an issue in cuba." >> i think that what's happening in cuba now is that there is a gradual, certain growth of inequality to the extent that there has been an opening to business, through small business, and to the extent that

government, particularly in the armed forces, who are very heavily involved in the business sector. so, you have, for example, in the tourist industry, gaviota, which is the single largest enterprise. it's run by the army. so, what you have in cuba is the phenomenon of businessmen in uniform. >> [ laughs ] >> so, it's more of a warning than anything. gentlemen, thank you. >> and also investment, right, coming in from... >> investment coming, which has grown recently with the relaxation of many -- >> absolutely. >> gentlemen, thank you. we could do the whole show on it, but i appreciate the insight, and we'll see what changes the pope's visit can make down the road. >> exactly. >> thank you very much. coming up next on "tiempo," "maria montez: the movie," about one of the first latina actresses in hollywood. we will share with you more about the movie and where you can go see it. also, later on in the show, we'll tell you about the we are you project, an exhibition on social justice and immigration.

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>> "mar^a montez: the movie" is about to make its u.s. debut in our area. the film is a biopic, featuring one of hollywood's very first latina actresses and the first dominican actress to grace the silver screens of the 1940s. the film takes us on a journey from barahona, dominican republic, to hollywood and then later to france, where mysterious circumstances surround the actress' death. joining us now to talk more about the movie is celin\s toribio, the producer and leading actress. [ speaking spanish ] thank you for being here. >> thank you very much. hola. >> this is your baby, is it not? >> it is my baby. >> how many years ago... >> wow. >> ...did it enter your brain, where you said, "this is a project that i have to do"?

>> it entered my brian when i moved to los angeles after doing a career of radio and television here in new york. i moved to los angeles to start from scratch because i had the passion of learning acting. >> yes. >> and when i saw myself going to auditions and being typecast -- like, okay, i'm not size zero. >> mm-hmm. >> i speak with an accent. >> mm-hmm. >> how do i make it in hollywood? how do i break through the magic bubble of hollywood? and that's when i found the book about the life of mar^a montez. and i grabbed it, and it saved me from, like, trying to do what she did. >> do you see yourself in mar^a? >> i do. i do. >> in what way? >> in many ways. she migrated from barahona, in the south part of the dominican republic to new york city. i did from santo domingo to new york city. >> mm-hmm. >> then she went to puerto rico. i married a puerto rican husband. >> yes. >> [ laughs ] >> i see the similarities for sure. >> and then she moved to los angeles, and i did so, as well, only pursuing her acting-career dreams.

>> you are not only the producer and the actor. movie. >> yes, i co-wrote it with marcela fuentes-berain and alejandro and`jar. it took us four years almost to determine what part of the life of this great women -- 'cause when you put together all her >> yes. >> ...there's at least 200 important events in her life. >> okay. >> this is a woman that conquered hollywood in 1940s -- universal studios, 26 films, 2 films in france, one in italy. so, she had a lot to say. >> so, i'm guessing it was just as much of a challenge what to leave out of the movie as well as what to put in the movie. >> yes. writers call it kill your babies, and if writers are saying this -- it's like, every scene is like your baby. you want to grab it and shoot it. but you got to kill your babies in writing. >> where and when can we see the movie? >> well, october 2nd here in new york, three theaters, in selected theaters only. we have amc theatre on 42nd street. >> yes.

new jersey, and we have cineplex in the bronx, grand concourse area for the bronx. >> it's two hours? >> it's an hour and 40 minutes, an hour and 36, 39 minutes. >> any particular challenges that you came across as you were shooting the movie? >> well, budget. we needed to recreate france and los angeles in the dominican republic because we shot this film in the dominican republic in 19 days. >> oh, my goodness. >> we had to do it in spanish with english subtitles... >> yes. >> ...and budget, and we worked 18 hours a day, a crew of only 40 people. >> okay. >> and cinema people that are watching this know that it's very hard to do films nowadays. >> sure. >> we did it very guerilla style, so i really encourage all of you to please go support film. >> mar^a montez was known largely for her role in "arabian nights," was it? >> "ali baba and the forty thieves," "arabian nights." she became the "it" girl for hollywood. she was the queen of escapist films during the second war. >> okay.

>> and for her, she wanted to do better roles. like, she wanted to play joan of arc, for example. that's when she decided to launch her career as a producer, as well, which is another similarity to my career. but like every good actress, you achieve one goal, and you're moving on to the next. >> yes. >> actress, actor, whatever it might be. >> yes, and doors were closed for her when she decided not to do more sex-symbol roles in front of the big screen. >> right. >> and she had to move to france then, and that's when she did theater. >> in your estimation, do people like zoe saldana, dascha polanco -- do they owe a debt to the barriers that were broken down by mar^a montez? >> to the barriers that were broken down by mar^a montez, by ra`l julia, by rita moreno, by many actresses. and we're friends, zoe saldana and myself and dascha polanco. and i use them now also as inspiration. and they always say congratulations because somebody decided to tell the story of this woman. 'cause let me tell you -- after doing 26 films for hollywood,

caribbean marilyn monroe or a carmen miranda, you know? why not say her story? why not tell her story? >> as far as you and her and others have come, are there still challenges that remain? and if so, what are they? >> well, challenge number one is that we need more latinas in the big screen. >> mm-hmm. >> and we need more latinas behind the screen, behind the screen, meaning executive-producing, producing, writing, because it's always good to tell your story from you it. so, who better than a latina to say a latina's story? >> yes, of course. >> so, yes, we're still facing those challenges. >> and are you starting to see the tide change a little bit? >> we have. we have. >> the zoe saldanas, the dascha polancos. we have the salma hayek, the jennifer lopez. but still to the level of jennifer lopez and salma hayek, you read articles about them, and they keep saying they keep struggling... >> yes. on-screen. so, at whatever level, we still got to get -- you know, study

>> and a good way to educate yourself? going to see this movie. website -- mariamontezthemovie.com. the tickets is only for one weekend 'cause, you know, selected theaters, small release, until it becomes a hit and then everybody wants to see it again. >> but you'll be better educated for it, for having seen it. >> yes. please go. >> celin\s toribio [speaking >> thank you, joe. >> continued success with your career, okay? and good luck with the movie. it'll be a big hit. >> thanks for the opportunity. >> coming up next on "tiempo," the people behind the we are you

regresamos. way back when, mayor laguardia and non-profits ghi and hip, now called emblemhealth, made sure working new yorkers had quality, affordable healthcare. who's caring for you?

i'm sigourney weaver, and new york is my home. there's no place like it in the world... like our state parks. the adirondacks are my favorite. for hiking, fishing, camping, you name it. niagara falls is the oldest state park, but visiting it never gets old. the readers of a national newspaper voted letchworth the #1 state park in america. watkins glen, #3. new york state parks are a gift. plan your vacation at iloveny.com. there's something for everyone. >> in celebration of hispanic heritage month, we are you project: an exhibition on social justice and immigration, happening right now in new jersey, with hundreds of

art pieces telling a story on immigration. the art initiative -- again, happening right now at the human rights institute at kean university in new jersey -- it combines -- listen to the list -- visual art, poetry, performance art, film, lectures, all designed to explore the identity and experiences of latinos, both nationally and internationally. and we're joined this morning by dr. carlos hernandez, co-founder of the exhibit, and ricardo fonseca, an artist featured in the project, also a graphic designer and photographer at the university there. thank you for being with us. this is the fourth, fifth year you've had the project? >> fifth year. >> fifth year. and 33 dozen, right, artists of all different kinds? >> a total of 35 artists from all over latin america. >> you find them or they find you? >> a combination. >> okay. >> we sought a couple out, and some came to us. >> and the goal and the mission overall of the project is to...? >> really is to explore latino identity and the journey in the 21st century through the eyes of

the artist, as opposed through the eyes of the scientist or other professions. >> and how is that conveyed in the artwork? give me an example or two. >> well, for example, you'll be looking at one a little bit later, but clearly it's -- you know, we believe that the artist sort of paints what he knows, not what he seems. >> mm-hmm. >> so, it really is an expression of the artistic view of who they are as latinos. >> i'm looking at others. "hoy marchamos manana... votamos?" -- question mark. and that right there, ricardo, i think is your piece. tell us a little bit about your contribution to the show. >> the permanent alien resident card is -- >> which i find very interesting >> right. it has a mirror, so by being in front of it, your image is obviously reflected on it -- and not only that. the size, because it's enlarged, glorifies this piece that we call [speaking spanish] >> uh-huh. how did you come up with the idea? >> through my own struggles in

immigrant. >> you're from where? >> originally from portugal. >> uh-huh. and the struggle for you and your family was the same struggle encountered by so many immigrants. >> correct. the -- are you careful to pick artists that represent the various corners of latin and central america and the >> absolutely. our artists range throughout, you know, the latin american experience and countries, and we have people like raphael ort^z, who's the founder of the museo del barrio. we have mel ramos. so, we really represent all of latin american in the artists that are part of the program. >> there are poetry readings, as well? >> yes, and for each of the exhibits, the art and the poetry is thematically based. so, they create the art for the particular exhibit at hand. >> mm-hmm. >> so, in this particular instance, it focuses on social justice and immigration. >> you're not only an artist, but an employee at the school. but talk to me about the honor, about having your work on display in a project such as

this. >> it was a great opportunity granted to us by the president of the university, dr. dawood farahi, to allow us to exhibit in the human rights institute. obviously the fact that it's a human-rights issue has a lot more impact, and i feel like it's the right venue. any other pieces you're working on that may be part of this exhibit or a future one down the road? >> absolutely. always working on something that's timely, especially with politics these days. >> okay. yes. are there political commentaries in some of the artwork that's on display? >> oh, very clearly. certainly, the piece that we're gonna look at, you know, has that political commentary, as well. it runs through the themes of all of the artwork and all of the poetry. >> okay. >> and in this period of time, it's clear that we have to deal with the political realities. >> i think in the political environment that we're in and we're looking at a presidential election down the road, i think it's quite timely. >> sure. absolutely. >> well, i just want to put up on the screen where and when you can go see this exhibit. it's the we are you project, now open to the public, at the

human rights institute, located on the campus of kean university, 1000 morris avenue, union, new jersey. information, there's the website -- weareyouproject.org. and again, the cost is free. gents, thank you for being with us, and good luck down the road. before we go, a look at the "tiempo" community calendar for this week. just a few minutes from now, at noon, the queens hispanic parade gets under way, jackson heights. the parade celebrates latino culture. plenty of food, lots of music. the parade route starts on 69th street and 37th avenue and goes all the way up to 86th street. tomorrow -- monday -- you can go see "another son of venezuela." it is a new musical narrative exploring the themes of love, loss, family, and national pride. it starts at 6:00 p.m. at joe's pub, located at 425 lafayette street in manhattan. and next saturday, october 3rd, in the bronx, the latino college expo comes to hostos community college. this is a must-go-to event for all students and parents needing

help with financial aid, questions about scholarships, college access. there are seminars for the students and parents, and the seminars are in english and spanish. hostos, located at 500 grand concourse -- again, that's in the bronx. much^simas gracias. we thank you for spending part of your sunday with us. if you missed any part of our show, don't worry. you can watch it again or watch it for the first time at abc7ny.com on the web, your tablet, or even your smartphone. that wraps up this edition of "tiempo." we thank you for watching. i'm joe torres. we will see you next time. have a good week.

>> "here and now," the program