Andrew Lang’s first film ranks among the fairest portraits of Cuba by an outsider. Assembling an all-Cuban crew (including Domingo Triano, who worked on Memories of Underdevelopment) and granted full access to chronicle Havana’s Boxing Academy, he shows the forces that drive the institution and by extension Cuban society. It is also a defining historical document, as it captures the anxiety created in the wake of Fidel Castro’s retirement from office and withdrawal from public life. In its focus on three boys trained for Olympic Glory, Lang is able to evoke the complexity of contemporary Cuban society. Using the form of the observational documentary, interspersed with detailed interviews, Sons of Cuba portrays the various political and cultural influences that underlie a sport’s role in society.

Beautifully structured story of sacrifice, companionship, grief and glory  Time Out
The moving finale will have you weeping like a chump  The Times
Andrew Lang's surefire crowd-pleaser is equal parts coming-of-age tale and sports drama...a knockout doc  Variety
As moving and insightful a film as you'll see all year  The Telegraph
A spectacle of yearning and heartbreak  The Guardian

Cast & Credits: Cristian Martinez Noriega / Yosvani Bonachea Morgan / Santos Urgelles Diaz / Junior Menendez Lemar / Directed by Andrew Lang

Awards: British Independent Film Awards (2009): Nominated, Best DocumentaryHavana Film Festival (2009): Won, Best Foreign Language Film / Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (2009): Won, Best Documentary / Malaga Spanish Film Festival (2010): Won, Audience Award / Rome Film Festival (2009): Won, Best Documentary / San Diego Latino Film Festival (2009): Won, Audience Award

Technical: 2009 / 89 minutes / Spanish with English subtitles / Dolby SR / 1.78 : 1 Colour / DVD PAL Multi Region / MRBDVD033

Licensed from Roco Films.