swifttwain

It opens with light and shadow...

then develops into personal portraits which deepen as we go back and forth between our 3 protagonists, each scene complementing the next.

We re-discover the forgotten tale of the blind Prima ballerina of Cuba, a woman who returned to Cuba at the request of Fidel Castro to launch a school which has produced world-class dancers who perform around the world.

What is impressed me most was the editing, using archives and recent footage to tell the tale. The cameraman, Gregory Bindscheller, captures the intensity of these dancers, the rigour of the school, and their professors.

The director, Eileen Hofer, ably uses these elements to tell a tale of time, of prowess, and leave the viewer with more questions than answers - and the desire to learn more.

For those who love dance, great camera work, and nuanced narrative, don't miss this film.

I really liked the use of animation and humor to treat heavy topics, respectfully, and lightly - classy, funny, smart and humane. It really helped you open up to the story, and suddenly you realize - wow, that was deep, or heavy, or insightful...Really thoughtful writing and editing.

The review of really recent Turkish history made me realize how much I didn't learn at school.

Plus, a subtle and fun tour of utopias... Worth watching if you have to read Plato, Merton, or Friedman - Utopists who just don't realize their heaven on earth is hellish.

I just hope this filmmaker keeps going - I'm curious to see how she treats other subjects, people, etc.

I have to say I was quite surprised by my reaction to this film in the cinema. The actors just blew me away! They were subtle, disturbing, disturbed, refined. Really great to watch. Reminded me of the best Hitchcock films. Really liked the moody lighting and music. Didn't really know much about this before, so it really made me brush up on my history - the British in Palestine and it wasn't the crusades? Terrorists who were not only enemies of the British, but also of the Ben Gurion and the Haganah? I mean, the internal conflicts within Palestinian Zionists were really incredible. What I like about this film is that every character is well-played, and in the end, likable. It makes you think about Hannah Arendt's writing - we are all millimeters away from doing evil, and being killers. A must see indie film.