Watch on 123Movies. It began with a bus crashing through the gates of an embassy in Havana and unraveled into one of the most dramatic episodes in the history of human migrations. In a few short weeks, nearly 130,000 Cubans left their homeland in an unrelenting stream of vessels bound for America. Weaving together rare historical footage and contemporary interviews, the film explores the personal stories, struggles, and triumphs of the individuals reshaped by the infamous 1980 Mariel Boatlift.