Life Imitates Art as Cuban Actors Defect

Two Cuban actors who starred in a film about defectors have themselves defected to the United States.

Actress Anailin de la Rua and actor Javier Nunez came out of hiding Saturday to confirm that they will apply for political asylum.

The two disappeared last week while on their way from Cuba to New York to attend the Tribeca Film Festival.

Their film, Una Noche (One Night), follows three Cuban teenagers who try to escape their homeland on a raft to start a new life in Miami. De la Rua and Nunez, who fell in love during filming, play a brother and sister, but only one of them survives the risky journey.

The film won three awards at the Tribeca Film Festival, including the best actor award for Javier Nunez, which he shared with another of the film's actors.

The pair said their real-life decision to leave Cuba stemmed from the success of the film and invitations to travel to premieres overseas.