Obituaries

East Bay Filmmaker Saul Landau Dies at 77

Saul Landau, a prolific, award-winning documentary filmmaker and critic of U.S. foreign policy, died Monday night at his Alameda home from bladder cancer. Much of his work focused on Latin America.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Saul Landau died at his Alameda home Monday night, according to the Associated Press. He was 77.

Landau had been struggling with bladder cancer for two years, the AP article said.


A frequent critic of U.S. foreign policy, Landau gained early notice for his 1968 film about Fidel Castro, "Fidel," which included interviews with the revolutionary leader in Cuba. Three years later, he released two films on Chilean President Salvador Allende, two years before Allende was overthrown in a coup.

His 1979 film, "Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang," which looked at people affected by radiation from above-ground nuclear bomb tests, won an Emmy and a George Polk Award for investigative reporting.

"Saul produced more than 40 films and TV programs, 14 books, and thousands of newspaper and magazine articles and reviews," said a special announcement on the website of the Washington, DC-based Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), where Laudau had been a fellow since 1972. , the AP article said.

"Beyond his extensive body of work, Saul will be remembered for his steely nerve and caustic wit," the IPS said.

“He stood up to dictators, right-wing Cuban assassins, pompous politicians, and critics from both the left and the right,” said a statement from IPS Director John Cavanagh.

Family members are planning a memorial service, according to a post on Landau's website.

You may read the complete AP article here.

Landau's family is accepting contributions toward a memorial service. You may donate toward the service at saullandau.com.


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