POV, America’s longest-running non-fiction series, explores the shadowy nexus of pro sports and the migrant trail in the acclaimed Cuban baseball feature The Last Out, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sami Khan (St. Louis Superman) and Michael Gassert.
Produced by Gassert, Khan, and Jonathan Miller, and a co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting, the documentary will make its national broadcast premiere on Monday, October 3, 2022 (check local listings), and available to stream free until November 2, 2022, at pbs.org, and the PBS Video app.
Set amidst the migrant trail and the dark side of professional sports, The Last Out tells the inspiring story of Happy Oliveros, Carlos O. González, and Víctor Baró, three Cuban baseball players who risk exile to train in Central America as they chase their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. Filmed over more than four years, the vérité documentary focuses on people caught between countries who want nothing more than to make a better life for their families, and chronicles their harrowing journey, from immigration obstacles to the broken promises of dubious agents. Against all odds, these young athletes try to hold onto their hope while confronting the dark realities of what it takes to succeed.
Scouting for Cuban players is quite different than in the U.S. or Dominican Republic because of the U.S. blockade of the island. Although each franchise maintains the stats of every player in the Cuban pro league, scouts are not able to engage directly with players unless they defect from Cuba. In the Dominican Republic, players are often recruited as young as 12-13 years old and signed at age 16. By contrast, Cubans are usually recruited in their late teens or early 20s and have to be signed in other countries such as Costa Rica.
Both the English and Spanish language versions of The Last Out will debut as part of POV’s 35th anniversary season, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month and the start of the MLB postseason. In addition to standard closed captioning for the film, POV, in partnership with audio description service DiCapta, providing real time audio interpretations for audiences with sensory disabilities.
