Ana (2020) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The setting depicts an urban environment strained by economic crisis, where families struggle with debt and limited public services. The car yard and local churches serve as key microcosms of a community trying to rebuild amid hardship.

• san juan
• puerto rico
• setting
• hurricane maria

The story unfolds in the late 2010s, specifically 2017-2018, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This period was marked by severe economic downturn and disrupted public services in Puerto Rico, with the backdrop of a high-stakes political campaign that intensifies the moral decisions characters face.

• time period
• 2017
• 2018
• hurricane maria
• post-hurricane

The film explores three interconnected themes: Poverty & Survival, which tracks how economic desperation blurs ethical lines; Morality & Exploitation, examining conflicting loyalties and how charity can mask fraud; and Community & Redemption, showing how communal spaces like the church become sites of both aid and manipulation.

• themes
• poverty
• morality
• community
• redemption

Rafa and Ana navigate a collapsing economy where cash is scarce and opportunities are few. The film shows how desperation forces characters into risky schemes to stay afloat, with poverty acting as both a catalyst and constraint that forces confrontations with loyalty, responsibility, and difficult choices.

• poverty
• survival
• economy
• financial crisis

The story probes how generosity, manipulation, and coercion intersect in times of crisis. Ana's schemes collide with Rafa's sense of duty, while institutional figures like Pastor Helen exploit goodwill for larger schemes. The film questions where charity ends and fraud begins.

• morality
• exploitation
• charity
• ethics

The church appears as a focal point for both aid and ulterior motives, illustrating how communal spaces influence vulnerable people. Rafa's pursuit of accountability contrasts with deceptive fundraising, ultimately guiding him toward reconciliation with his family and a chance to rebuild his life.

• church
• community
• redemption
• pastor helen

Rafael 'Rafa' Rodriguez is a struggling car salesman who moved from Florida to Puerto Rico and finds himself suddenly responsible for Ana. He is guilt-ridden and stubborn, determined to do right by the girl even as his finances collapse. His choice to help Ana pulls him into morally risky decisions in a desperate bid to protect his future and reconnect with his children.

• rafa rodriguez
• andy garcia
• car salesman
• protagonist

Ana is an 11-year-old girl who lives across from Rafa's car yard and has endured her mother's arrest. She is resourceful, outspoken, and quick to adapt, using clever schemes to raise money. Her bond with Rafa shifts from guardianship to a complicated dependency that tests both their ethics.

• ana
• dafne keen
• young girl
• mother incarcerated

Pastor Helen is a church pastor who becomes a gatekeeper of charity and a mediator of Ana's fundraising. She appears compassionate on the surface but is ultimately complicit in exploiting generosity for a larger scheme. Her character reveals how institutions can blur moral lines in times of crisis.

• pastor helen
• church
• charity
• exploitation

Diego is a loan shark pressuring Rafa for repayment and orchestrating schemes to recoup money. He demonstrates ruthless pragmatism, enforcing a five-day deadline and using manipulation or intimidation to collect debts. He represents the external financial pressure driving Rafa's desperate decisions.

• diego
• loan shark
• debt
• money lender

The tone is predominantly hopeful despite the serious backdrop of post-hurricane economic crisis and parental incarceration. The core relationship between Rafa and Ana provides a consistent emotional anchor. While themes of abandonment and financial despair are present, they are balanced by the uplifting central bond and a definitively happy ending where characters find stability and connection.

• tone
• mood
• hopeful
• emotional
• ending