Netflix Release Film "Nyad" Depicting Diana Nyad's Historic Swim From Cuba to Key West Amid Controversy Over Representation of Cuban Migrant Crisis

Netflix's new film "Nyad" told through the lens of Diana Nyad's intense determination and unprecedented achievement, spurs deep-seated emotions and political conversations among Cuban Americans due to the tragic history of the Florida Straits being a dangerous path for Cuban migrants.

The Netflix film "Nyad", directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, is based on Diana Nyad's memoir, "Find a Way", depicting her determination to complete the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Key West. Despite unsuccessful attempts, she finally succeeded at the age of 64 after a swim that lasted 53 hours.
The film has sparked controversy among Cuban Americans as the Florida Straits, the route Nyad swam, is also a dangerous path for countless Cubans who have tried to reach the US on homemade rafts, leading to many deaths.
During the 'balsero' crisis of the mid-1990s, the US Coast Guard detained 30,879 Cubans trying to cross the Florida Straits, and a 1995 study estimates that as many as 100,000 Cubans may have died between 1959 and 1994 trying to cross.
While 'Nyad' acknowledges the Cuban migrant issue subtly, it primarily focuses on Nyad's immense willpower, the team she required, and the resources poured into her personal dream. As Nyad said when she reached the shores of Key West, ‘It looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a team.’
The film also draws attention to the different journeys between sport and escape through the same path, emphasizing the tragic history of the Florida Straits and the desperate attempts of migrants, contrasting with Nyad's feat being widely celebrated.

CNN

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