Home / Arts and Entertainment / Largest Child Refugee Exodus in Western Hemisphere Dramatized in New Film
Largest Child Refugee Exodus in Western Hemisphere Dramatized in New Film
28 Oct
Summary
- Film set in aftermath of Cuban revolution
- Follows Cuban socialite, English teacher, and Irish priest who helped 14,000 children escape
- Real-life Operation Pedro Pan took place 1960-1962
In 2025, a new film titled "Pedro Pan" is set to dramatize the real-life events of Operation Pedro Pan, the largest child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere. The film is set in the aftermath of Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution, and follows the story of a Cuban socialite, an English schoolteacher, and an Irish Catholic priest in Miami who spearheaded a daring operation to help over 14,000 children escape communist indoctrination and begin new lives in America.
Between 1960 and 1962, Cuban parents, fearing the indoctrination of their children under Castro's regime, sent them to the United States in a clandestine program supported by the Catholic Church and the U.S. government. The children arrived without their parents, with little more than a suitcase, before being placed with relatives, foster families, or Catholic charities.
The film, which is set to begin production in Mexico next month, features a cast that includes Néstor Carbonell, Allen Leech, Danny Pino, Paz Vega, Andy García, and Annabelle Wallis. Richie Adams is directing from a script by Adams and Bart Gavigan, with a story by composer Carlos José Alvarez.
