The historical drama, a beneficiary of the Audiovisual Investment Certificate - CINA, is directed by Miguel Bardem and stars Ana Villafañe and James Franco. Filming took place in Bogota and Cartagena. More than 80% of its technical and art crew are Colombian.
Alina de Cuba tells the true story of Cuban exile turned social advocate Alina Fernandez, known as "Castro's Daughter," born from an affair between Fidel Castro and Natalia "Naty" Revuelta. Revuelta was a Cuban socialite who offered her —and her husband's— money and belongings to help fund the start of the Communist Revolution. Fernandez learned that she was Fidel Castro's daughter only when she was ten. After years of secret visits, her mother finally admitted that "El Comandante" was her birth father. Over time, Alina grew up to become one of Castro's harshest critics, being arrested on more than one occasion for attempting to flee and classified as a dissident banned from leaving Cuba. She finally defected to Spain in 1993, making headlines in major newspapers worldwide, before permanently settling in Miami.
This historical drama is directed by Goya Award winner Miguel Bardem (The Mother), starring Broadway actress Ana Villafañe (New Amsterdam), along with Oscar-nominated actor James Franco (Milk) and Imagen Award winner Mia Maestro (Tango). They are joined by María Cecilia Botero, Norberto Rivera, Alanna de la Rosa, Luna Baxter, Viña Machado, Johanna Robledo, Mariale Ordoñez, Charlotte de Casabianca, Carlos Manuel Vesga, and Felipe Castilla, among others.
The movie script was written by Academy Award-nominated writer Jose Rivera and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz. Producing the project are John Martinez O'Felan and Joe Lamy from Austin-based Mankind Entertainment, along with Academy Award nominee —for The Kids Are Alright— Celine Rattray, and BAFTA Award nominee —for Still Alice— Trudie Styler from Maven Screen Media. Redbud Studios founders Allen Gilmer and Rikki Rushing and Emmy winner Javier Gonzales are part of the production team. Luis Mandoki and Thaddeus D. Matula act as executive producers.
The Colombian side of the production team, comprising 80% of the positions, included Jaguar Bite, led by Juan Pablo Solano and Simón Beltrán, as executive producers; Carolina Arciniegas as line producer; Alejandro Romero in the UPM; Augusto Castillo as assistant director; Juan Pablo Rincón as casting director; Juan Carrasquilla as location manager; Carlos Osorio as production designer; Stephanie Hansen as set designer; Olga Turrini as makeup designer; Daniela Rivano as costume designer; Juan Carlos Gil (Que viva la música) as cinematographer; Boris Herrera as sound designer; and Ana María Gallón as still photographer; among others.
The project was a beneficiary of the CINA incentive - Audiovisual Investment Certificate, a 35% tax discount on expenses for film services in the country, granted by the Colombian government and administered by Proimágenes Colombia. The film was shot entirely in Cartagena, Bogota, and its surroundings, as Colombian colonial architecture and design capture the Castro era in Havana, Cuba.
