Cuban Actors Who Vanished En Route To Tribeca Seek Asylum In Miami: Reuters

Two Cuban actors bound for the Tribeca Film Festival in New York who disappeared in Miami have come forward and confirmed they are seeking political asylum in the United States, Reuters reports. Anailin de la Rua and Javier Nuñez, cast members of Una Noche (One Night), appeared on TV Friday night on the Miami-based Spanish language channel America TeVe. De la Rua and Nunez said their real-life experience was not as dramatic as the harrowing story depicted in the movie for which Nuñez and Dariel Arrechada shared the festival’s best actor award. Una Noche follows three Cuban teens as they attempt to escape on a raft. De la Rua and Nuñez, who fell in love during filming, play a brother and sister. They said their decision to leave Cuba stemmed from the success of the film and invitations to travel to festival premieres in Berlin and New York. “In part it’s hard to leave your family and friends behind,” said de la Rua, who has two sisters and divorced parents in Havana. “But at the same time you do it so you can help them. There’s no future in Cuba.” Nunez said his mother lives alone in Cuba and he plans to help her out economically along with his older brother who left Cuba for Ecuador several years ago. Both now 20, the actors were 15 when they auditioned separately for the film, and then spent two years preparing for their roles. Tribeca honored the film’s Lucy Mulloy as best new narrative director. Una Noche also received the nod for best cinematography.

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