![[Image Description: An image from the documentary, CUBAN DANCER, shows a young person wearing a blue unitard and beige ballet shoes jumping elegantly in the middle of a NYC crosswalk. Pedestrians and cabs are out of focus in the background.]](https://cinelasamericas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Cuban-Dancer-Still-600px.jpeg)
AFS Doc Days 2021: Cuban Dancer
Austin Film Society presents CUBAN DANCER, a film by Roberto Salinas
Italy, Canada, Chile, 2021
Documentary, 90 min, Color
English, Spanish with English subtitles
Event Details
Saturday, October 16, 2021 @ 4:15 PM CT
AFS Cinema, 6406 N I-35 Suite 3100 Austin, TX 78752
$13 evening / $10.50 matinee
Synopsis
The Cuban National Ballet School in Havana is where Cuba’s most talented young dancers prepare for and dream of a life on the professional stage. Alexis Martinez, 15, is a student who lives to dance, and dances to live; his supportive family shares his passion and supports his ambitions to rise to company status. When political forces begin to shape the family’s future, Alexis faces the possibility of immigration during a critical moment in his training. Featuring stunning dance sequences choreographed for the film by the characters, CUBAN DANCER embraces the narrative and expressive possibilities of dance on camera; and is an enduring portrait of the challenges of immigration for a family determined to follow their dreams.
This screening is presented in partnership with Austin Film Society. Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.