EXCLUSIVE:  Courtney Clarke (Spa Weekend), Rafael De La Fuente (Dynasty), Alex FitzAlan (The Society) and Fabiola Brown (Esta Isla) have joined the cast of Michal Hali Zebede’s Cuba, Paraíso with principal photography underway in Puerto Rico.

Inspired by real people and events, the drama unfolds against the backdrop of 2021 demonstrations in Cuba when thousands of people took to the streets to protest the government’s mismanagement of the economy and authoritarianism.

Clarke stars as a jaded Miami art dealer who travels to Havana to buy work from a fugitive political artist during the 2021 Cuba protests, and must decide whether to risk her life to help him escape

Zebede is best known for co-writing The Humbling, starring Oscar winners Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson.

Her work has spanned film and television projects at AMC Networks, Sony, Amazon Studios, ABC/Disney, Freeform and Hulu, including the Party of Five reboot, as well as her feature news docuseries which featured Ben Affleck, Russell Brand and George Clooney. 

The creative team includes award-winning cinematographer Sonnel Velazquez, whose more than 26 credits across his native Puerto Rico and internationally include the independent features Ana, Art of Love and The arm, as well as fox’s Fantasy Islanda nd HBO Max’s Gordita Chronicles.

The film is produced by Ariel Annexy (Bella, Prótesis). Casting is led by Carla Hool (Emilia Pérez, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Jurassic World and Narcos).

The film is produced in collaboration with Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce.