SUGAR Special Screenings

For many Dominicans, baseball represents the pathway from poverty to wealth and glory. And so when Sugar, a gifted 19-year-old pitcher, gets called up to the American minor leagues, it seems a dream fulfilled for him, his family and his community. But life on the road and under the glare of the lights carries more challenges than the young man imagined. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s follow-up to their Oscar-nominated HALF NELSON is a miracle of cinema, a restrained, moving and wholly realized human story. SUGAR seems to evolve organically – at times feeling almost improvised-and is filled with the gentle twists and surprises of a real life being lived . Yet, as ii progresses, one recognizes its thoughtful construction; it is carefully paced and breathtakingly composed by HALF NELSON cinematographer Andrij Parekh) The sports footage is convincing without being showy, and the struggles of Sugar and the other newcomers to the US are drawn with deep empathy, instead of relying on contrived, episodic moments. As Sugar, newcomer Algenis Perez is a thrill to watch: a smart, curious and everyday-brave young man whose wide-eyed naivety is soon transformed into wisdom. As Sugar makes his way, the film grows, too, from a familiar boy-trying-to-make-it-big tale into a grander yet quieter story, that of a newcomer seeking a place in America, still the container for the world’s hopes and aspirations.