Secundaria
African Film Festival
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1h 35m
Directed by Mary Jane Doherty • Documentary • With Mayara Piñeiro, Gabriela Moreno, Moises Noriega • 2013 • 96 minutes
Secundaria quietly follows one high school class on its journey through Cuba's world-famous National Ballet School. The teens love to dance, but for many of them dance is also their sole escape from a life of poverty. The documentary begins as an observational portrait, but in their third year of school the main character, Mayara, takes charge of her destiny in an astonishing way. Suddenly this simple portrait takes a dramatic turn as Mayara's action surprises everyone: teachers, friends, family and, ultimately, the filmmaker herself.
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