Ninety Miles

On Saturday, I posted a short film titled "Lecciones de Conducir." Driving Lessons. It's a short about what the Cuban rafter deals with right before he sets off to attempt crossing the Gulfstream on a homemade raft in search of the everyday freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

If you have ever been on the high seas, you'll know just how treacherous the ocean can be. One minute you'll be sailing along in one or two foot seas and a half hour later you can be tossing and bobbing and splashing around uncontrollably, making you realize just how small you really are in the vast open waters. How desperate must one be to attempt such a journey, knowning full well that chances are they will never make it to land?

Lecciones de Conducir is the trailer, the screening copy, for a full length feature film called "Ninety Miles" written by Quincy Perkins. The full length movie has yet to be produced, and the short is film is what Quincy is using to try to get financial backing for the movie. I've read the screenplay for Ninety Miles and all I can say is that I would finance that film in a heartbeat if I had the money. Quincy has written a beautiful piece that details the circumstances of the balsero and why he is forced to leave his country in such a manner. The short film was shot in the Florida Keys and both actors are actually Cuban balseros.

I played Driving Lessons in between the longer documentaries at Cuba Nostalgia (more on those later). People sat there watching this film intently, waiting for a dialogue that never came, and the moment they realized that the one man was aboutto build a raft and set out to what could possibly be his demise, tears flowed.

One gentleman in particular, from Chicago, has spent some time at the Babalu booth there was his two friends, he'd seen the parts of the documentaries and also the Monte Rouge video which I was also running. He didnt seem impressed by any of it, the booth, the blog, the people, the films. Nada. It seemed as if nothing was going to impress this man.

But then I ran Driving Lessons and he stood there watching it as if he know what was coming. His friends were ready to leave but he refused, I want to watch this, he said. And watch he did.

When it was over, he came up to me with tears rolling down his face, extended his hand for a handshake and said "Gracias. Eso mismo lo vivi yo." Thank you. I lived that exact same thing.

I wonder how many Cubans lived that exact same thing, and how many never made it across.

I urge each of you to scroll down a bit and see the short film, and, if you so desire, let Quincy know your thoughts.

Update: If you want to email the director directly (heh!) he can be reached at quincyperkins - at - hotmail.com.

Posted by Val Prieto at June 20, 2005 08:21 AM

Comments

Posted by: Miguel-O-Matic at June 20, 2005 08:47 AM

Posted by: Val Prieto at June 20, 2005 10:38 AM

Posted by: Kathleen at June 20, 2005 10:39 AM

Posted by: carmen at June 20, 2005 12:12 PM

Posted by: Quincy at June 22, 2005 06:07 PM