Paraiso Tropical

Directed by Abner Benaim
Documentary | Panama | 2025 | 90 min | Spanish with English Subtitles

Northeast Premiere

In Partnership with UPenn Cinema and Media Studies and UPenn Hillel

Post-film talkback & Q&A with subject and director Abner Benaim

Set against the lush backdrop of Panama, this gripping psychological docu-thriller unravels the haunting legacy of a 1994 terrorist attack rooted in the tangled geopolitics of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Through a meticulous blend of investigative journalism and deeply personal testimony, Tropical Paradise (Paraíso Tropical) probes the unanswered questions that still surround the tragedy—examining how the shockwaves of violence continue to shape the lives of survivors, families, and an entire community decades later.

 Abner Benaim (Director/Producer/Screenwriter)

Benaim is considered one of the pioneers of Panamanian cinema since his debut film, the comedy CHANCE (2010). He has represented his country three times as the official selection for the Oscars with his documentaries “Invasion” (2014) and “Ruben Blades is Not My Name” (2018), and in 2017 with the drama “Plaza Catedral,” which was shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Benaim is a founding member of the Panama Film Academy and a voting member of the United States’ Academy of Motion Pictures. In 2004, he founded the production company Apertura Films in Panama. Abner is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.