The People's Fighters: Teofilo Stevenson and the Legend of Cuban Boxing explained

Genre:	Documentary film
Director:	Peter Berg Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
Narrated:	Peter Berg
Music:	Arturo Cardelús
Cinematography:	Jon Aguirresarobe Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
Editor:	Javier Dampierre
Country:	United States
Language:	English Spanish
Producer:	Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
Executive Producer:	Federico di Mojana Yiannis Exarchos Greg Groggel Frank Marshall Mark Parkman Michael Tollin Jon Weinbach
Runtime:	87 minutes
Company:	Mandalay Sports Media (MSM) The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Network:	Olympic Channel

The People's Fighters: Teofilo Stevenson and the Legend of Cuban Boxing is a 2018 documentary film directed by Peter Berg and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza that aired on the Olympic Channel in the United States.^[1] Narrated by Peter Berg, the documentary includes archival footage as well as interviews with other Cuban Olympic medal winners.^[2]

Plot

With a population of just 11 million people, Cuba has produced the most Olympic boxing medalists of any country in the world, winning 73 Olympic medals including 38 gold medals in the past 50 years. The documentary examines Teófilo Stevenson's career as well as the phenomenon of boxing in Cuba overall.

Cast

• Emilio Correa Sr.
• Jorge Hernández
• Armando Martínez
• José Gómez Mustelier
• Rolando Garbey
• Félix Savón
• Alcides Sagarra Carón
• Oscar De La Hoya
• Peter Berg (narrator)

Production

The film was produced as the second film in the Five Rings Films series.^{[2] [3] [4]} Filming took place in the United States and Cuba.^[5]

Broadcast

The film was broadcast on the Olympic Channel in the United States^[1] on May 31, 2018.^{[5] [3] [6] [7]}

Reception

ESPN staff writer Nigel Collins wrote, "Those who have not seen the freakish power in Stevenson's right hand are in for a treat. The documentary celebrates his dominance with footage of Teofilo dispatching U.S. hopefuls Duane Bobick, Tyrell Briggs and John Tate with alarming ease." He continued, "One of major strengths of 'The People's Fighter' is allowing the story to be told from the Cuban point of view. Berg's narration is smooth and informative but never presumptuous. The opinions are those of the people on the ground, the ones that count, the real stars of the film."^[8]

The International Sport Movies TV Federation called it "an in-depth look at Cuba’s overwhelming history of success in the sport of boxing."^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The People’s Fighters | Five Rings Films. Olympic Channel.
2. Web site: The People’s Fighters puts Cuban boxing in the spotlight - Olympic News. February 5, 2019. International Olympic Committee.
3. Web site: The People's Fighters: New Documentary Airing May 31 Provides Unprecedented Look at Cuban Boxing | Round By Round Boxing. Round. Boxing.
4. Web site: Olympic Channel releases "The People's Fighters," Peter Berg's doc on Cuban boxing. June 11, 2018.
5. Web site: Olympic Channel's Five Rings Films Debuts The People's Fighters, An Unprecedented Look At Cuban Boxing During A Period Of Historic Change, Directed By Acclaimed Filmmaker Peter Berg. Olympic. Channel. www.prnewswire.com.
6. Web site: Olympic Channel estrena The People’s Fighters, de la saga Five Rings Films, donde el boxeo cubano se muestra de forma única durante un período de cambio histórico, dirigida por el aclamado realizador Peter Berg. May 31, 2018.
7. Web site: ‘The People’s Fighter’: 50 Years of Cuban Boxing. Wil. Esco. May 30, 2018. Bad Left Hook.
8. Web site: Teofilo Stevenson, the people's fighter. June 12, 2018. ESPN.com.
9. Web site: The people's fighters: Teofilo Stevenson and the legend of cuban boxing.