BayNews 9 takes a look at "Voices from Mariel," the brainchild of Florida Southern College professor Dr. Garcia. The premiered at the Gasparilla International Film Festival on March 26.

In making "Voices from Mariel," Garcia and a production crew from Lakeland-based NFocus Pictures, including FSC graduate Jesse Larson, made the potentially dangerous voyage to Cuba, secretly filming interviews and a joyous reunion between Garcia and his childhood best friend.

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LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2011) -- "Voices from Mariel," the brainchild of Florida Southern College professor Dr. Garcia, has been selected to premier at the Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa. Garcia fled Cuba with his family during the famed Mariel Boatlift of 1980.  He was 13 years old.  

In the film, Garcia conducts numerous interviews with other Mariel survivors willing to share their stories.  He also returns to Cuba this year with a film crew that documents his experiences as he reconnects with loved ones still living in Cuba today.  According to the film's producers, the project involved great planning and risk and is believed to be a one-of-a-kind look at the lives of Mariel's Cuban-Americans 30 years later, as well as a rare glimpse into the current living conditions of those who remained in Cuba. 

Each year, the Gasparilla International Film Festival receives more than 300 submissions, but only 20 percent are selected for inclusion.

"The film's selection is very exciting and I feel we are being rewarded for all the work that we put into this. It opens up a lot of opportunities that we didn't envision before, such as other national and international film festivals," Garcia says.

In 1980, Cuban leader Fidel Castro permitted his people to board boats at the Port of Mariel to come to the United States. Nearly 125,000 Cuban citizens, from April to September of that year, crowded barely seaworthy boats in search of a better life in America.

Dr. Garcia and his parents were among those who made it.

Over the years, Garcia has achieved academic degrees and honors, traveled the world, and secured the position of Associate Professor of Latin Studies and Modern Languages Chair at Florida Southern College.

However, Garcia says that these accomplishments did not replace a sense of loss, including his homeland, his friends, and indeed, part of his identity.

"I was a cultural orphan," Garcia says.

Garcia's desire to rediscover his Cuban heritage was the impetus for "Voices from Mariel."

Castro's decision to publicize and then release many jail inmates at that time tainted the perception of all who left Cuba via the Boatlift. Most refugees, however, were honest, hardworking citizens simply looking for a better life – an element of this historical incident emphasized in "Voices from Mariel."

In making "Voices from Mariel," Garcia and a production crew from Lakeland-based NFocus Pictures, including FSC graduate Jesse Larson, made the potentially dangerous voyage to Cuba, secretly filming interviews and a joyous reunion between Garcia and his childhood best friend.

The experience of returning to Cuba, and seeing the impoverished conditions that his family members and friends face every day, has forever changed Garcia. He says that reconnecting with this huge piece of his past has made him feel more complete.

"I feel now a very strong connection with the children and the people who came to the United States during the Mariel Boatlift. We share an experience that is unique and unifying," he says. "It's vital to have their stories on record as a testament of what these people endured for their children and grandchildren."

The Gasparilla International Film Festival is now in its fifth year and ranks as Tampa/St. Petersburg's largest independent film festival. It takes place concurrently with the broader Gasparilla Festival of the Arts event. The film festival showcases features, documentaries, shorts, music videos, and family-friendly films.

The film will be shown at 7 p.m. on March 26 at Muvico, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., in Ybor City.

For more information about the film and the premier, visit www.voicesfrommariel.com.