In a tough barrio of Havana, Italian expatriate Samuel Fabbri’s boxing gym offers a safe place for kids, to get them off the streets. Teens like Haiffer and Adrialis are inspired to dream big, both in and out of the ring. This vibrant yet run-down space mirrors Cuba’s ongoing struggles, as the team prepares for a crucial match against a more modern gym— one that could either revive the fortunes of the Gimnasio or mark the end of Samuel’s 20-year fight.

Bologna and Havana, Cuba and Emilia-Romagna: the thread that ties them together is embodied by one man, Samuel Fabbri, who carries with him the weight and honor of a collective history, between sport and social redemption. Cristiano Regina, an independent filmmaker collaborating with Articolture for the first time, uses a unique story to recount the reality of Cuba in depth and without preconceptions, beyond ideology and stereotypes.

A tu lado is a documentary directed by Cristiano Regina, written with Ruggero Tantulli and Nuri Duarte, produced in collaboration with Fractal (Spain) and GatorosaFilms (Cuba), with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA Slate Fund, Ibermedia, the Emilia-Romagna Region, ICEC, and ICAIC.

The project is currently in distribution, represented internationally by Habanero Films Sales.

Italian distribution is in collaboration with the Italy-Cuba Association and several popular gyms in Italy.

To support the activities of the Gymnasio de Boxeo Centro Havana, visit pagina web di Sharedoc.