Former lawmaker aims to turn Cuban history into a film
Bob McKnight, former state senator from Miami and the Keys in the 1980’s, is working on getting his political genre screenplay, “Calle Ocho,” in front of Hollywood studios while Cuba is in the news. It is his fictional story of Cuba after Castro and the clandestine work of a new U.S. Senator from Florida to free prisoners from the island country’s jails.
Because my 1974-82 legislative district in Miami and the Keys included a large population of Cubans, I had a chance to study and try to understand their culture and interests.
Two of my constituents, Willy Bermello and Leslie Pantin, were leaders in the very active Little Havana Kiwanis Club on 8th Street. They have become two of my best friends.
Cuban war memorial for freedom and against revolutionary communist rule on Calle Ocho (or 8th Street) in Little Havana, Miami, Florida, United States of America (USA) on August 6, 2025.
In 1979, they sponsored the first community celebration in downtown Miami called Calle Ocho. It was a tremendous success and today is the largest street festival drawing millions to South Florida.
But I felt Calle Ocho became the symbol of something more—a growing and significant constituency that broadened the culture and outreach of South Florida. As Cubans settled into the community, they became leaders in finance, development, the arts, sports, transportation, the media, education, health care, and yes, politics.
Today, they are among the state leaders in all of these areas, developing a true Florida meritocracy. I decided to write a fictional story about that evolution, but felt it should be juxtaposed against the collapse of Cuba after Castro’s death.
I felt the emergence of bright, powerful Cuban politicians in Florida could create an opportunity to reach out and help fellow citizens recover from communism. They could lay the groundwork for reintroducing freedom to an island 90 miles offshore.
Sen. Bryan Avila applauds as people are recognized during opening day of session Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
The heart of the story is the embargo. Conservative voices among the Cubans say the embargo remains until the current regime is gone and confiscated property is returned.
More progressive voices say a phase out of the embargo tied to specific steps of regime change, release of prisoners and return of property.
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The difference between the two approaches is significant. With the help of professional filmmakers, I made the characters very real and dynamic, sometimes seeming to be actual personalities. I included emotions of love, hate, revenge, pride, humor, and hope.
My screenplay was rewritten multiple times and ultimately has won three national film festivals. I now have a finished screenplay, directors, producers, actors, a budget, schedule, and film locations.
What I need is the commitment of a major studio or financier to start Calle Ocho. I would hope the almost daily publicity about the future of Cuba would help draw solid interest.
Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, known as “El Cangrejo”, grandson of former Cuban President Raul Castro, attends a political and cultural show paying tribute to late Cuban President Fidel Castro as Cuba marks what would have been his 100th birthday in Havana, Cuba, on Aug. 13, 2026.
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Bob McKnight is a former Florida senator (1978-82) and state representative (1974-78). He can be reached at bob@flpoliticalcommentary.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former lawmaker aims to turn Cuban history into a film