Voices from Mariel isn’t a household name, at least not yet. The documentary film from NFocus Visual Communications tells the story of the Mariel Boatlift through the eyes of both those who left and those who stayed behind. This unique film was shot on location in Florida and in Cuba, giving two distinct perspectives to the story.
As a quick background, the Mariel Boatlift occurred in 1980. After weeks of increasingly desperate attempts by Cuban citizens to gain asylum and leave the country, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro decided to open the floodgates and let those who wanted to leave go unfettered. He didn’t count on the massive rush for freedom that followed. With over 100,000 asylum-seekers taking Castro up on his offer, the dictator was left with little choice but to let them go.
But he didn’t let them go easily. The government arranged for protestors to follow the would-be expatriates, administering frequent berating and occasional beating. As a final jab at the outside world, Castro mixed criminals and mental patients into the hoards of freedom-seekers as they made their way out of the country.
Heartwarming and touching, Voices From Mariel follows one of the Marielitos, Dr. Jose Garcia, as he returns to his home country for this first time in thirty years. There he reunites with friends and family who had been left behind. Through a series of interviews with Cubans on both sides of the boatlift, the viewer gets a real and deep insight into what this event meant to a people and a country.
If your only knowledge of the Mariel Boatlift is the movie Scarface (and let’s face it, that’s true for most of us) then you owe it to yourself to see this film and discover the true story behind this historic migration. Voices from Mariel is currently playing in very limited release. It will be released on DVD and BluRay sometime in the near future (no date available yet, but it can be pre-ordered on the website at www.voicesfrommariel.com).
The Voices of Mariel is a movie that depicts the true thoughts of Cubans that left Cuba and those stayed in Cuba from the time of the revolution to after Fidel Castro took over. Anyone who has left the place of their heritage longs to “see her one more time.” I am of Puerto Rican descent and I hear my uncles and aunts talk of seeing their island once again or when they die to be buried on their island.In the same way Cubans that left Cuba were looked down upon; the descendents of Puerto Ricans in America are looked as not being Puerto Rican(outcast). In a several ways I can relate to the people in the movie. The only difference is that I can always go back and cherish parts of my heritage; My professor can never go back to see family and friends he left behind or the place he was born. Many people are tied to their birthplace. The birthplace is usually the place where people are not only born but raised. To leave that place can usually leave an emotion of sadness. Many people who did leave felt this way for a long time. Yet as one of the men said “freedom has a price”. People always pay a price, some small and some large. The Cubans that left did and immigrants from other countries always do since the beginning of time, and there is always someone who, if they could, like to see their country “one more time”.
I enjoyed this movie because it was about what the people experienced, and not someone exploiting people for what happened to them during this horrible time. It explained a time of grief and hatred from a point of view that many do not hear from. It was a movie that actually gave people a voice that displayed truth to an event that took place and changed lives. If you want to see a movie that took the time to hear the voices of people and experiences, this is a good film to watch. It is humbling to those that have much, but also depicts family unity, and love for a country and thought of how freedom is a precious idea and dream.
*NOTE: I know not everyone (other Puerto Ricans) treats descendants of Puerto Ricans that live in America as if they are outcasts.
Voices from Mariel is a wonderful, eye-opening film that should be seen by everyone.
“Voices From Mariel” is a very high-quality film. I am interested in history, so it was interesting to learn about the Mariel Boatlift. I found the parts which described the journey from Cuba to Florida to be quite interesting. Before watching the film, I did not know that the boats were overloaded to the point that it was extremely dangerous to operate them. I liked Steven Bauer’s introduction as well. I did not know the role he played in the film “Scarface” caused controversy in the Cuban community.
I thought it was important that the documentary revealed the horrible way in which Cubans who did not support the revolution were treated. This helps people to better understand why they left their country for the United States. Many people in the United States take it for granted that they are able to disagree with their government without any harm coming to them. It is eye-opening for Americans to see that not all people are so fortunate. I also thought it was good that the documentary helped to dispel the misconception that most of the Marielitos were criminals. In reality, most of them were good people who went on to contribute great things to America. They did not deserve the negative labels they were given by both Cubans and Americans. The stories told by the people who left Cuba are the most interesting part of the film. Even though the Mariel Boatlift was one historical event, the story of every person who participated in it is unique. I also found it interesting to see what Cuba looks like today and the way that its people live.
I enjoyed voices of Mariel a lot. I feel like even though the film chronicles the ordeals of Cuban immigrants during Castro’s regime, that any American would be able to relate on some level. Being Americans the vast majority of our families immigrated to this country for similar reasons. I very much enjoyed the section of the documentary which discussed the idea of Cuban-American identity and the identity of the new Americans of Cuban dissent. Often times there is a struggle when having children in a new country, for them to both identify with the parent’s country of origin and their new homeland. The film affected me personally because I am very aware of my Hispanic, European, African heritage and being an American I understand the complexity of cultural identification. Often times there are movies depicting the struggles of immigrants to America and rarely do the movies ever explore the topic of their children’s cultural identity. I really appreciate this film for doing that.