Forbidden Cuba

I wanted to shoot a feature film in Cuba, defying all odds and naysayers, to reveal an island and a lost American on the verge of revolutionary change.

I have been fascinated by Cuba, its culture and its difficult history with the United States ever since I was a boy. Growing up, I found real connection through Cuban-born friends, their families and the stories they'd tell. In my mind, Cuba was vividly alive but completely out of reach. It was taboo, dangerous, off the radar, forbidden. It begged to be experienced and explored.

Three years ago, I saw little chance for a thaw in the Cold War relationship between the U.S. and its longtime adversary. I embarked on making the first American feature in Cuba since 1959, aiming to shake-up expectations, speed an end to the senseless embargo, and build new connections between the people of America and Cuba.

With Obama’s bold move to re-shape U.S. relations with Cuba, our project is now especially timely and needed.

There needs to be a breaking-down of misunderstanding and misconceptions about the island nation just 90 miles off the coast of America. Viewers deserve to be part of the larger discussion about HOW we build a sustainable new future together with Cuba, rising above our conquistador past to engage with care and thoughtful action.

I also saw a burning need for a tale of caution and redemption of the American soul. We are a people who have lost their way in a consumer-driven, success-crazed maze. I believe our eyes need to be opened to simple joys, to the building of real community, to what it means to be human.

To accomplish this, my friends and I embraced the kind of guerilla filmmaking that would make Che Guevara proud. Back in 2012, on the day Hurricane Sandy roared into New York, our team battled the elements for hundreds of miles to find an open airport. We landed in Havana with just a small group of American and French filmmakers to shoot for three intense weeks across the island. Without permits, we captured a bold and humorous story, in the streets, in homes and businesses. We clandestinely incorporated the vibrancy and beauty of Cuba and its people into a film that's equal parts “Local Hero” and “Heart of Darkness.”

I wanted to capture this country of incredible radiance, new possibilities, and striking contradictions. I wanted to make a film that takes narrative storytelling and collides it with documentary filmmaking, where fictional characters and scripted story lines intersect with real people and unexpected events - to reveal something greater.

I am eager to tell the truth about this fast-changing island nation - about new paths for a new future - through our story of caution, hope and renewal.