This HBO film shows how Sandoval's life in revolutionary Cuba is affected--beginning in the early 1970s--by his zeal for his music and by the limits placed on him by his homeland. Representing his torn loyalties are Dizzy Gillespie (the enigmatic jazz musician played by Charles S. Dutton) and Sandoval's wife, Marianela (played by the beautiful Mia Maestro). Gillespie embodies the freedom to follow one's dream, while Marianela represents family loyalty and the ideals of the Castro revolution. Yet, the same regime his wife embraces forces Arturo to play government-imposed music instead of the jazz that he loves. Sandoval travels the world, and while the Cuban government profits from his success, he is exposed to a freedom that eventually draws him to the difficult and life-changing decision he and his family feel compelled to make.

Against a backdrop of beautiful scenery and exceptional music, For Love or Country provides a harsh depiction of revolutionary Cuba, its outmoded lifestyle, and the restrictions placed on its people. --Mindy Ruehmann

Product Description
IT IS 1990. THE U.S. EMBASSY IN GREECE IS ABOUT TO PLAY HOST TO A DEFECTOR, AND THE DEFECTOR IS ABOUT TO PLAY FOR HIS LIFE. BASED ON AN INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY, THE ARTURO SANDOVAL STORY, TELLS THE POWERFUL TALE OF A CUBAN MUSICIAN WITH A TRUMPET, A FEW SCRATCHED AMERICAN LP'S & A DREAM THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS LIFE