Known for his rebellion against oppression and his role in helping Fidel Castro overthrow the Cuban government, Che Guevara is a counterculture icon.

In June 1999, “Time” magazine named Guevara on its list of the “Time 100: Heroes and Icons,” a selection of influential figures of the 20th century. This list also included the likes of Anne Frank, Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks.

The Latin American Heritage Month Committee is hosting “Che Guevara and His Childhood in Alta Gracia, Argentina” at 6 tonight in the Effingham Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

For the event, the documentary “Che: Un argentino del siglo XX” will be shown in its entirety and will be followed by a presentation of exhibits about Guevara from the Museum Casa Che Guevara in Argentina.

The documentary discusses the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, a Marxist revolutionary who influenced the landscape of South American politics during the mid-20th century.

Guevara sparked controversy everywhere he traveled and was murdered in Bolivia in 1967 at the age of 39. However, before meeting Castro, Guevara lived in Argentina and graduated from medical school. The committee’s presentation will mostly discuss this period of time in Guevara’s life.

David Carwell, professor in the political science department at Eastern, said that Guevara’s iconic status can be attributed to his dying at a young age.

“He’s like James Dean or Marilyn Monroe,” Carwell said. “When you’re lucky enough to die young, it’s easy to be romanticized.”

Carwell said because Guevara only aimed to be a revolutionary and not a part of government, he was never forced to compromise his principles.

He also said that outside Castro, most Cubans did not favor Guevara because he was a foreigner.

“Che: Un argentino del siglo XX” was written and directed by Luis Eliseo Altamira and released in 2001.

JC Clark can be reached at 581-7942 or at jrclark2@eiu.edu.