Life Imitating Art: Cuban Actors Seek Asylum in the U.S.

A pair of Cuban actors appear to have defected to America following the success of their movie about Cubans defecting to America.

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Joe Corrigan / Getty

Two Cuban stars of "Una Noche" were missing at the premiere during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas on April 19, 2012 in New York City.

Two Cuban actors seem to be living out the story of their award-winning movie Una Noche, after mysteriously failing to show up to receive awards at New York’s prestigious Tribeca film festival.

The movie, which tells the story of a brother and a sister escaping Cuba on a raft setting sail to Miami for a new life, won three prizes, including a Best Actor award for one of the missing performers, Javier Nuñez Florian.

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At the awards presentation, even the movie’s American director Lucy Mulloy had no idea where Florian and his costar, Analin de la Rua — who play the siblings at the center of the film and who had formed a romantic relationship during filming — had disappeared to. Their co-star, Dariel Arrechada, who shared the acting prize with Florian, told Reuters:

“I’m sad for them because they are my friends … I wish they were here, but … you could be happy for them, for Javier and for Anailin and for everyone. It’s weird. I miss him.”

It has since been revealed that the two parted ways with the rest of the film’s cast on a stopover in Miami (the destination of their characters in the film), on their way from Havana to the film festival in New York, where they hid at the home of de la Rua’s uncle.

In an interview to Miami-based Spanish language channel America TeVe, as reported by Reuters, they explained that they would be seeking political asylum in the U.S: “In part it’s hard to leave your family and friends behind … But at the same time you do it so you can help them. There’s no future in Cuba.”

They hope to continue their new-found success at actors — Una Noche was the first movie for both — but say they are happy to take any jobs.

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