11 Jan Horizons / Horizontes

Since its founding, the National Ballet of Cuba has produced many remarkable dancers. Eileen Hofer’s film focuses on three generations of Cuban-born dancers who demonstrate their love and passion for ballet: legend and local hero Alicia Alonso, now 93, the prima ballerina assoluta who founded the classical ballet company; Viengsay Valdes, a rising star; and young Amanda, who dreams of being accepted to the company’s prestigious school. Interweaving their stories as if with an impressionist painter’s brush, Hofer creates a portrait of three exceptional women for whom their native soil is a source of pride, despite the hardships they endure. Archival footage of Alonso in her prime poignantly contrasts with the frail nonagenarian who can still rise to the occasion.