Though lesser known than Leni Riefenstahls OLYMPIA or Kon Ichikawas TOKYO OLYMPIAD, Santiago Alvarezs tribute to Cubas sporting triumphs is no less breathtaking. A ship of athletes training on the rough seas becomes a symbol of Castros Cuba, the games projected on the backdrop of political struggle: This is the story of a ship and of a sports delegation whom the ENEMY tried to stop from participating in the Tenth Central American and Caribbean Games. Alvarezs bristling montage may be put to didactic ends but theres a significant remainder of joy in his celebration of work. Rhetoric is inseparable from rhythm as Alvarez remains ever attentive to the specific manifestations of the body politic.
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