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Rent Sons of Cuba (2009)

It's been over 50 years since the Cuban revolution, and in all that time the communist state has rarely granted such intimate access to filmmakers to shoot freely in a state institution. Set in the legendary Havana Boxing Academy, the multiple award-winning Sons of Cuba tells the story of the famed boarding school that hand-picks 9-year-old boys, and turns them into the best boxers in the world. The results are stunning and undeniable; Cuba has utterly dominated Olympic boxing for the past quarter-century. Dubbed by Castro: "the standard-bearers of the revolution", the boys' duties extend far beyond the ring. As well as being world-class fighters, they are expected to act as international symbols for their country. Sons of Cuba follows the journeys of 3 young hopefuls through 8 dramatic months of training and schooling as they prepare for the biggest event of their lives: Cuba's National Boxing Championship for Under-12's. During the season, the major upset of Castro being taken ill leads to all-out crisis as all of Cuba's Olympic champions duly defect to the USA, leaving the young boys to contemplate a future which looks starkly different from the one in which they were taught to believe.