Two Cuban actors, Camila Arteche and Sian Chiong, will participate in the series Coolie, a production set in the 19th century when Chinese workers were enslaved in Cuba.
Arteche shared the news very excitedly on her Instagram profile, accompanied by a post from Variety about the series.
"I can finally announce that I am part of the main cast of Coolie! It's an eight-episode series with a Cuban story, in English, and featuring a wonderful team. What more can one ask for from life? (...) Thank you, universe, for bringing me María, the character I had long wished for, and for allowing me to honor my culture and my ancestors with this story."
Sian Chiong, for his part, will portray the character of Néstor, making them both the only Cubans to perform in Coolie.
According to Variety, the story of this series recreates the historical moment when "the trade of African slaves was banned throughout the American continent, and plantation owners in Cuba began to traffic contracted laborers from China and other parts of Asia. These so-called coolies were often treated as slaves, but some integrated into Cuban society and joined the country's struggle for independence from Spain."
These workers provided low-cost labor for various jobs and "were essential in the creation of Chinatowns worldwide."
The lead role will be played by Hong Kong actress Louise Wong, who will portray a young woman from southern China traveling to Cuba to marry a political exile working on a sugar cane plantation.
The series will be directed by Arvin Chen, the Taiwanese-American director and screenwriter known for productions such as Love in Taipei, Mama Boy, and episodes of Pachinko.
The series is slated to begin filming next December in the Dominican Republic and Panama.
Without a doubt, this is another significant step in the careers of Cuban artists. Camila Arteche announced last September that she would also premiere the short film La Última Memoria, and another of her projects, Un pequeño corte, is already available on HBO.
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