The Perez Family

The Perez Family is a colourful comedy-drama with love in the leading role. Twenty years ago the plantation owner Juan Raul Perez was imprisoned by Castro's police. Now Juan Raul is finally released, having not seen his wife Carmela and his daughter Teresa a single time in all those years. They fled to the USA before Juan Raul was jailed. He emigrates there too, but Carmela's useless brother messes things up, so there is no one to meet him when he arrives.

All the Cuban refugees are housed in Miami's football stadium. Those who have family are the first to get the chance of a sponsor who will help them integrate into the USA. This is realised by the quick-witted ex-hooker Dottie Perez, who persuades Juan Raul to pretend that she is his wife. Soon she has also got hold of a 'son' and a 'grandfather', so before long the 'family' can escape the refugee camp.

The meeting between Carmela and Juan Raul, which they have both longed for for 20 years, is nevertheless inevitable. When it finally happens, the circumstances are completely different from what either party had expected. By this time Carmela has at long last given up on her husband and has gone out on the town with another man for the first time, the likeable police officer Pirelli. Juan Raul, for his part, has very slowly fallen in love with his other 'wife', the fun-loving and effervescent Dottie, who has given him back his hope for the future. Carmela and Juan Raul are wise enough to realise that there is no reason to resume life together after so many years when each of them loves someone else.