Cuba does not have a recognized film industry, but “Una Noche” could potentially create a tremendous amount of awareness for the country’s industry.
The film, which began as the thesis film project for NYU student Lucy Molloy, garnered tremendous headlines when two of the actors went missing in the Miami Airport. Javier Nunez Floria and Anailin de la Rua de la Torre eventually turned up and revealed that they were looking for political asylum. They also revealed that they had fallen in love and that de la Rua de la Torre had become pregnant with twins.
What was most fascinating about the story is that it mirrors the reality of the film, which tells the story of two twins who attempt to flee Cuba in search of political asylum in the United States.
The Los Angeles Times’ review of the film states, “Still, moving performances from 'Una Noche's' charismatic non-pro cast, Mulloy's keen eye for visual detail and stunning cinematography by Trevor Forrest and Shlomo Godder of Cuba's turquoise water exploding against the sea wall offer a compelling portrait of a population decrement via the Florida Straits."
Stephen Holden of the New York Times adds, “'Una Noche' doesn’t turn into a clichéd survival drama. For all its flaws, the movie, filmed with nonprofessional actors, is steadily gripping.”
The film played at a number of film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won Best Director of a Feature Film, Best Actor in a Feature Film and Best Cinematography. It was also screened at the Berlin Film Festival, International Film Festival of India and the Brasilia International Film Festival.