SONS OF CUBA
(UK, 2009, d. Andrew Lang)
This interesting and effective documentary tells a story as well as offering insight into Cuba and some glimpses of the country.
The subject is boxing, something of which Cubans have been very proud in recent decades, thinking Olympic gold. As in other socialist regimes, like Mao's China (see Bruce Beresford's Mao's Last Dancer), young children are selected to leave their families and enrol in a specialist school with a competitive ethos and a disciplinary way of life. In Cuba, it is under 12 year olds in each of the provinces. Sons of Cuba follows the boys in the Havana school and culminates in the championships.
One of the things that strikes the viewer is how hard the regime is on the boys, up at 4.00 am, then rigorous exercises, followed by school and back to the exercises by 4.00pm. The boys are not only lean, some of them look a touch emaciated and talk about being hungry. Their limit it 34 kilos – after that, running to get the weight off. The other striking factor is the amount of weeping during the film – the hard regime does not preclude the tears of hungry young boys, boys who have lost their bouts and are dismayed – and coaches who also weep with disappointment as well as with joy. An emotional group of people.
Several boys are singled out for more concentrated attention, one who becomes the champion, whose father was a boxer and did not expect so much of his son – and he too weeps as does the boy's mother.
Throughout the film we see the die hard attitude inculcated into the children about Fidel, the Revolution and the ongoing cult of Castro. But, the film was made during the period of Castro's 80th birthday, his illness and his retirement from the presidency, something which struck hard on the ordinary people's sense of loyalty and being used to Castro being there.
There are visual glimpses of the country, poor but not impoverished, partly run-down (though there is a great deal of rebuilding and historic reconstruction going on), partly dilapidated. But, from this portrayal of the people, lots of Caribbean spirit.
