'El Ritual' by Ivan Olita Is a Short Film About Skating in Cuba

For the dedicated tight-knit skateboarding community in Havana, Cuba, skate culture is beyond simply a sport or a hobby. To the riders in this region, it is an escape, a philosophy and an everyday ritual. In Ivan Olita’s short film, El Ritual, we follow Yojani Perez Rivera through the streets of Havana as he describes his relationship with the sport, as well as the sport in response to the changing social and political landscape of Cuba. In the footage, we get a sense of Rivera’s passion towards skateboarding and see Cuban skaters as part of one of the most thriving and spirited skate communities out there. For these skaters, the sport is “a revolutionary way of living for the younger generation” and they are not just among friends, but among family.