Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia, an Oscar nominee for “The Godfather Part III,” is in Mérida filming “Pedro Pan,” a movie that recreates one of the most poignant episodes of the Cuban exodus.
The international production began filming on November 7 in the historic center of the Yucatecan capital, where American director Richie Adams is recreating the atmosphere of revolutionary Havana with vintage cars, colonial mansions, and meticulous set design.
There is no record of Garcia’s previous visits to Yucatán, making this filming his first documented contact with the state.
The state has a history as a location for productions about Cuban history: in 2000, director Julian Schnabel filmed “Before Night Falls” with Javier Bardem in the streets of Mérida and Progreso, a project that earned the Spanish actor his first Oscar nomination.
Now, 25 years later, Yucatán is once again becoming Cuba’s cinematic counterpart.
The film addresses Operation Peter Pan, the mass exodus of 14,000 Cubans sent to the United States between 1960 and 1962 by the Catholic Church and the U.S. government after the triumph of the revolution.
García shares the screen with Spanish actress Paz Vega and British actress Annabelle Wallis, who stars in the film.
The project is scheduled to last six weeks of filming in various locations in Yucatán, including the house at number 371 on 60th Street, the Fonda Balcón restaurant, and locations along Paseo de Montejo.
The actor’s presence has generated excitement among pedestrians and drivers in the historic center.
During the initial filming on 60th Street between 39th and 41st, dozens of people stopped to take photos and videos of the scenes.
A woman shouted from the street, “Andy García, I love you! Tell him I love him!” to which a member of the film crew repeated the message.
Source: eluniversal
