Andy Garcia claims that some South American cinema chains and festivals have shunned his feature directing debut, The Lost City, because it presents a negative view of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.

Garcia, who left his native Cuba when he was five years old and never returned, scripted the film, in which he stars with Ines Sastre, Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman as gangster Meyer Lansky.

"There have been festivals that wouldn't show it," Garcia says. "That will continue to happen from people who don't want to see the image of Che tarnished and from people who support the Castro regime. Some people think Castro is a saviour, that he looks out for the kids and the poor. It's a bunch of hogwash. In the 45 years since Castro came to power, Cuba has been in the top three countries for human rights abuses for 43 of those years. People turn a blind eye to his atrocities."