In October 1958, Karl Mertens, a young journalist, arrives in Havana, Cuba. Having read an interview with Fidel Castro in the New York Times, he sets out on behalf of a German newspaper to meet and interview the young leader. When he arrives, he finds himself in a country plunged into revolution. Quickly he becomes involved in its events.

From the viewpoint of this young journalist, Reinhard Kleist presents a detailed look at the life and the political motivations of the Cuban “Máximo Lider” Fidel Castro, from his childhood up until the present day.