El Ritual by Ivan Olita

Cuba is a country with a colourful past. One of the last remaining socialist republics of its kind, its political and economic history of last century and this has been an unstable one, with its human rights practices continuously questioned.

This film, directed by Ivan Olita and created by NOWNESS, touches on the day of a life in Havana through the eyes of skateboarder Yojani Perez Rivera. Despite lack of new equipment or the latest ramps, Perez Rivera makes skating his purpose in life; his everyday ritual and lifeblood that sees him through the ever-changing social and political climate. In skating he has found a community – individuals who, like him, seek refuge in skating and solidarity with one another.