Elián charts the remarkable story of Elián Gonzalez: a 5-year-old Cuban boy plucked from the Florida Straits on Thanksgiving Day in 1999. After his mother and others perished at sea, the ensuing custody battle between Gonzalez's Cuban father and Miami-based relatives sparked a flash point for simmering post-Cold War U.S. and Cuban tensions. Featuring powerful personal testimony, candid interviews and extraordinary news archive, this film presents a gripping account of Elián's remarkable survival and the momentous political fight that came to surround him.