Film of the week “Ticket to Paradise” by Gerardo Chijona

Director Gerardo Chijona Valdes guides the actors to realistic performances, though the Cuban drama’s last third begins to feel contrived.
Based on actual events following the dissolution of the USSR and ensuing economic chaos in Cuba, Gerardo Chijona Valdes’ feature Ticket to Paradise is anything but, depicting the often harrowing struggles of neglected teens trying to survive on the streets amidst of a faltering economy. A perceptive and sensitive portrayal of a runaway country girl’s coming of age, the film will find a home with