YUSEF y RAMIRO, running is narration

For Cuban Paralympic athlete Yusef Fernandez Perez, speed means much more than 100 and 200 meters

The baroque facades of Havana, its streets of stripped asphalt and perpetual motion, the stands of a bare sports center, the unchanged and unchanging expression of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, a quietly noisy beach. The whirling steps of Paralympic athlete Yusef Fernandez Perez alternate in this decadent and evocative scenario.

Photographer and director Bas Van Est decided to portray the quiet personal challenge of this introverted sprinter, a man who, despite a tragic youthful accident, has decided to dedicate his life to the 100 and 200 meters. His coach Ramiro is at his side: a fatherly figure, a wise man from another era, tenderly devoted to Yusef and his Paralympic dream.

Intimate and full of meaning, the images of this documentary leave indelible marks. They lead the viewer to think about the concept of sporting dedication and offer a fascinating, almost mystical, glimpse of secret athletic magnificence.

Credits

Photography by Bas Van Est
IG @basvanest
basvanest.com

Dir. Bas van Est
Cinematography Jasper de Kloet
Creative Direction & Production Teresa Montenegro
Creative Direction & Story Christopher Cryer
Edit Hiro ikematsu
Grading Joseph Bicknell @Company3
Music Paul Reeves
Sound Design & Mix Randall W. Macdonald
Sound Design & Foley Archie Presley
Camera Stabilisation Hugo Rodríguez & Leonardo Grassi
Film & Title Design Mikashi Yakamato
Motion Graphics Lewis Beedham