Photographer René Burri Discusses Photographing Che Guervara
Photographer René Burri recalled his 1960s trip to Cuba during which he met and photographed Che Guervara as “Look Magazine” journalist Laura Bergquist interviewed the famed revolutionary. The Americans okay-ed the trip, during which Burri and Bergquist went to Che’s office at Havana’s Hotel Riviera.
As Bergquist and Che, at the time the number-two man in Cuba, started a furious ideological dogfight, Burri snapped dozens of photos of Che. Burri was able to capture Che in many different situations - smiling, furious, from the back, from the front, etc. While Che didn’t look at the photographer once (enthralled in his debate with the journalist), Burri used up 8 rolls of film during the “photo shoot.”
Burri discusses the famous photograph of Che smoking a cigar as he looks away from the camera, stating:
“After Che died in 1967, this picture took on a great deal of iconic significance. Even before then, some kids from Zurich approached me wanting to make a poster from it. I never heard whether Che liked it or not; there was no response from Cuba at all. A photograph is a moment - when you press the button, it will never come back. This picture is famous thanks to the chap with the cigar, not to me.”
Article via the Guardian
