Nelson Rodríguez Zurbarán

Nelson is a Cuban filmmaker and film editor. He received the National Film Prize 2007. He holds a degree in History from the University of La Habana.

His first cinematographic experience occurred in childhood in Cienfuegos, when his parents took him to see Dumbo, Disney's animated film.

In the late 1950s, while Nelson was studying Commercial Sciences, he joined the Cineclub Visión in the Santos Suárez neighborhood of La Habana, where he met those who would later become protagonists of the new Cuban cinema: Humberto Solás, Oscar Valdés, Héctor Veitía, Norma Torrado, and Gloria Argüelles.

In 1962 he made his film debut with Historia de una batalla, and his work encompassed more than 93 films, among them some of the most representative of national cinematography, such as Las 12 sillas, Miel para Oshun, El siglo de las luces, Papeles secundarios, Un hombre de éxito, Los sobrevivientes, La última cena, and Una pelea cubana contra los demonios, among others.

In 1960, he began working at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), in the ICAIC Latinoamericano Newsreel, under the direction of Santiago Álvarez.

He is the editor of the most important works of Cuban cinema. Films such as La primera carga al Machete, Memorias del subdesarrollo, Lucía, and El otro Francisco have benefited from his work as a master in this specialty. His work is also linked to important Latin American filmmakers Miguel Littin, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, and María Novaro, among others.

It is important to note that Nelson Rodríguez, as a co-screenwriter, collaborated on several of our films, including three by Humberto Solás himself (Lucía, Amada, and Un hombre de éxito), as well as in Ustedes tienen la palabra, directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.

His prolific activity throughout all these years led him to teaching, especially at the International School of Film and TV in San Antonio de los Baños, where he taught the specialty he mastered completely: editing. Awarded on countless occasions, he has conducted workshops in Spain, Panama, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

In 2004 the San Francisco Film Festival, USA, paid him tribute to recognize his artistic achievements and his work for more than five decades in Cuban cinema. The eighth edition of the International Festival of Poor Cinema of Humberto Solás also paid him tribute as the National Film Prize 2007 recipient.

Filmography
1962: Historia de una batalla.
1962: Minerva traduce el mar.
1962: Primer Carnaval Socialista (documentary).
1963: Cuentos del Alhambra or Cuentos de la Alhambra.
1963: Para quien baila La Habana (fiction).
1963: El Retrato (fiction).
1963: Gente de Moscú (documentary).
1964: Nosotros, la música, directed by Rogelio París (documentary).
1964: El encuentro (documentary).
1964: Tránsito, directed by Eduardo Manet (documentary).
1965: Un día en el solar (fiction).
1966: Manuela (fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1967: Asalto al tren central (fiction).
1967: Tulipa (fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1968: Memorias del subdesarrollo (feature fiction), directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.
1968: Lucía (fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1969: La primera carga al machete (fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1970: Crear 2, 3 (documentary).
1970: Columna Juvenil del Centenario (documentary).
1971: Un Retablo para Romeo y Julieta.
1971: Una pelea cubana contra los demonios (fiction), directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.
1971: La tierra prometida (fiction).
1971: Los días del agua (fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1972: Girón (documentary).
1972: El ferrocarril.
1972: Un día de noviembre (Co-screenwriter. fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1973: Ustedes tienen la palabra (Co-screenwriter. fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1973: Miriam Makeba (documentary).
1973: Régimen salarial (documentary).
1973: Prácticos del puerto (documentary).
1973: La tierra prometida.
1974: Una temporada perfecta (fiction).
1974: El otro Francisco (fiction), directed by Sergio Giral.
1974: Simparelé (documentary).
1975: Cantata de Chile (feature fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1975: El órgano de Manzanillo (documentary).
1975: Sonia Silvestre (documentary).
1975: Panorama (documentary).
1975: Hombres de mar (documentary).
1976: Allá Lejos (documentary).
1976: La Tierra y el Cielo (fiction).
1976: Rancheador (fiction).
1976: La última cena (fiction), directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.
1977: Destino manifiesto (documentary).
1977: Las parrandas (documentary).
1977: Día tras día (documentary).
1977: Nacer en Leningrado (documentary).
1978: Los sobrevivientes (fiction), directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.
1978: Una mujer, un hombre, una ciudad (feature fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1979: Contrastes (documentary), directed by Héctor Veitía.
1979: Libertango.
1979: Isadora (documentary), directed by Héctor Veitía.
1979: No hay sábado sin sol (fiction), directed by Manuel Herrera.
1979: Wifredo Lam (documentary).
1980: La clase (fiction).
1980: Elaboración Técnica (fiction).
1980: Michelangelo (fiction).
1980: Junto al golfo (fiction).
1980: La viuda de Montiel (fiction).
1981: Cecilia Valdés (feature fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1982: Una y otra vez.
1983: Amada (feature fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1983: La rosa de los vientos.
1984: Caminos.
1984: Habanera (fiction), directed by Pastor Vega.
1984: Primero de enero (documentary).
1985: Tiempo de morir (Cuba-Colombia. fiction).
1985: Una novia para David (feature fiction), directed by Orlando Rojas.
1986: Plácido (fiction), directed by Sergio Giral.
1986: Un hombre de éxito (feature fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1986: Visa USA (Cuba-Colombia. fiction).
1987: Gallego (fiction), directed by Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1988: El verano de la Sra. Forbes (Cuba-Mexico. fiction).
1988: Obataleo (documentary).
1989: La posibilidad infinita.
1989: Papeles secundarios (feature fiction), directed by Orlando Rojas.
1990: Confesión a Laura (Cuba-Colombia. fiction).
1991: Danzón (Mexico. fiction).
1991: Gertrudis.
1991: El siglo de las luces (fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
1995: Cuestión de fe (Bolivia. fiction).
1996: Y si fuera cierto (television film, Chile).
1997: Yawar (Bolivia. fiction).
1997: El mandado (Panama. fiction).
1997: Escrito en el agua (Argentina. fiction).
1997: El día que murió el silencio (Bolivia-Italy. fiction).
1999: Sacrifictum (Panama. fiction).
2001: Miel para Oshun (fiction), directed by Humberto Solás.
2002: Toda una vida (Spain. fiction).
2003: Mano de Piedra.
2003: Roble de Olor (fiction), directed by Rigoberto López.

Awards and Recognition
Tiempo de morir (Cuba-Colombia. fiction).
Grand Coral for Best Editing at the VII International Festival of New Latin American Cinema. La Habana, 1986.
Distinction for National Culture.
Diploma for Artistic Merit awarded by the Higher Institute of Art.
National Film Prize 2007.

Nelson passed away on February 12 from cardiac arrest at his home in Coral Gables in Miami.