User:Bwanderwoman/sandbox

“A Cuban Legend,” The story of Salvador Gonzalez, was Bette’s directorial debut ‘When I first meet Salvador, I did not speak a word of Spanish, so I became absorbed in learning the language while making the film which helped me keep a very curious and innocent mind. It was a transforming experience to learn about the roots of the Afro Cuban religion through the art, music and ancient rituals.

Salvador and Bette both felt that their meeting was a part of their personal destinies. “We saw something of ourselves, in each other,” said Salvador. It was a chance telephone call Bette made to Sandra Levinson who runs the Cuban Art Space, that caused them to meet. Sandra said she needed a place for a Cuban artist to stay in New York, and Bette, whose loft on the Lower East Side is characterized by a constant stream of friends and family who visit, said ,”I have a place”. Three days later she was at the airport in her red sports car picking up Salvador and his wife Maritza. Bette says, ‘we connected immediately and I knew I had found the subject of the film I wanted to direct. Soon she left for Cuba with Salvador, and began shooting the film while learning Spanish, Salsa dancing and gaining a deeper appreciation for Latino culture. "A Cuban Legend” was shown in festivals around the world and opened theatrically in various cities It garnered great reviews from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Chicago Tribune to name a few reviews amongst many.While Bette was in Cuba, Salvador produced a spectacular theatrical extravaganza featuring 20 of Cuba’s foremost Rumberos which she filmed and is now available as a 4 part series on DVD called “Festivale de Rumba” Ms. Wanderman also  produced /directed and edited a short film shoot in Cuba called “The Climate in Cuba” which has been shown in festivals and on TV.Bette Wanderman is a New York based documentary Filmmaker with 30 years of background as a Producer Cinematographer Director and editor. As a film director she is best know for the films " A Cuban Legend", The Climate In Cuba",  The Festivale de Rumba,and "Mambo City" and "The Rabbi of Saint Marks Place"",which have gained international acclaim in film festivals  as well as theatrical release. From late 1980's to the 1990"s   she produced films of Robert Downey Sr. and Lech Kowalski In 1995 KW Filmworks began producing Ms. Wanderman's films exclusively.