A new film by Cuban American filmmaker Esteban “Steven” Peterson, a Miami native, exposes the reality of life in communist Cuba. It will screen at the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival on November 9, 2022.
For Simon Lim, a trip to Cuba promises achievement and adventure. The young executive is on his way to close a huge telecommunications deal with the government there. One that will save his job. And he has visions of mojitos, pristine beaches and sultry salsa dancers in his head.? But for 18-year-old Lorena Cordova, the Cuba of Simon’s dreams doesn’t exist. Living in a small town south of Havana, her Cuba is one of hardship, scarcity and suspicion. In her head, all she nurtures are visions of escaping her island prison.? Simon’s simple curiosity about life in Cuba set he and Lorena on a collision course that have consequences neither of them could imagine.? From shaking his government shadow to watching the daily suffering, Simon’s peek behind Cuba’s curtain is shocking and sobering.? For Lorena, her chance meeting with Simon transforms her everyday life at the same time as it opens new doors for her future.? VIVA is the story of an American entrepreneur and a Cuban ballerina, bound together on an adventure steeped in political intrigue and danger that ultimately reveals the realities of an imprisoned island – and changes both of them forever.