Recently, i wrapped on an incredible story of miguel, a cuban baseball player being defected from cuba to the united states via mexico. this was my first full spanish short film. we filmed it in san diego for a little over a week. it was great to dive deeper into the character and live his life. As i did more research on the subject, in which most people are very much unaware, it opened my eyes to some of the horrific stories of the defected cubans.
prior to the cuban revolution, which saw castro rise to power in 1959, cuban born players often played in the american negro leagues and in major league baseball. following the revolution, u.s-cuba relations became strained, and castro ended professional baseball in cuba and forbade cuban players to play abroad. being defected made a difference between life and death to some. this story allowed me to look into the life of miguel and see his struggles, fears, and goals. leaving everything he knew for a dream. a dream that would cater to his love for the game, family, and most importantly the love of his life, emma. i am excited for you all to see this story that was inspired by true events. a story that is all too familiar. a story that is a part of american history. 93 miles. a short distance but a life long journey! From cuba with love. cuba libre!