Film: Sons of Cuba | reviews, news & interviews
Film: Sons of Cuba
Film: Sons of Cuba
Pint-sized pugilists duke it out for the glory of the Fatherland in this emotional documentary
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Raging bullocks: Cuba's young boxing champions-in-waiting
Cuban boxers have always punched above their weight in the world arena: the little island has clocked up no fewer than 63 Olympic medals - 32 of them gold - in the last 40 years. Enjoying extraordinary access to the mysteries of the Havana Boxing Academy, this emotional documentary follows the fortunes of three ten-year-old lads over eight months as they submit to a punishing regimen of training for the National Boxing Championship. But, as with the best sports films, Sons of Cuba is about more than winning or losing. It's about more, even, than boxing itself.
Cuban boxers have always punched above their weight in the world arena: the little island has clocked up no fewer than 63 Olympic medals - 32 of them gold - in the last 40 years. Enjoying extraordinary access to the mysteries of the Havana Boxing Academy, this emotional documentary follows the fortunes of three ten-year-old lads over eight months as they submit to a punishing regimen of training for the National Boxing Championship. But, as with the best sports films, Sons of Cuba is about more than winning or losing. It's about more, even, than boxing itself.
Explore topics
Share this article
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Film
The Extraordinary Miss Flower review - odd mashup of music, dance, film and spoken word
A cache of love letters inspires samey songs and not enough wonder
Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade review - how the great man spent his thirties
The former Beatle's final years discussed and dissected
theartsdesk Q&A: director Leonardo Van Dijl discusses his sexual abuse drama 'Julie Keeps Quiet'
The Belgian filmmaker unfolds an all too familiar tragedy in the world of tennis
DVD/Blu-ray: All We Imagine as Light
Epic but intimate Cannes prize-winner, ripe for repeated viewings
Stelios review - Athenian rhapsody in blues
Big fat Greek biopic hits the high notes but lacks punk spirit
The Accountant 2 review - belated return of Ben Affleck's lethal bean-counter
Horror, humour and mind games combine in Gavin O'Connor's sequel
The Ugly Stepsister review - gleeful Grimm revamp
A cutting Norwegian take on Cinderella and her adversaries
April review - powerfully acted portrait of a conflicted doctor in eastern Georgia
Dea Kukumbegashvili's second film is stylistically striking and emotionally raw
theartsdesk Q&A: filmmaker Miguel Gomes on his latest exotic opus, 'Grand Tour'
The Portuguese director's comic melodrama takes a fantastical journey through Southeast Asia and the history of cinema
Neil Young: Coastal review - the old campaigner gets back on the trail
Young's first post-Covid tour documented by Daryl Hannah
The Penguin Lessons review - Steve Coogan and his flippered friend
P-p-p-pick up a penguin... few surprises in this boarding school comedy set in Argentina during the coup
Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story - compelling portrait of the ground-breaking Irish writer
Glitz and hard graft: Sinéad O'Shea writes and directs this excellent documentary
Add comment