Underdogs: A Docu on the Restoration of a Monument to Effort

Maria Vattimo’s 26-minute sports documentary Underdogs is made moving by its three heroines, gymnasts beleaguered by the removal of their training space. The faces of the struggle to restore a rec centre to its community, Cherokee, Susu, and Elianna are distinct personalities and yet united in strength and poise honed through years of careful training.  

The Vare Recreational Center in South Philadelphia, aged and crumbling, had to be taken down and away from its most devoted frequenters before it could be brought back to life (those following the story will know that there is a happy ending). Of course, underscoring the effort and determination is the threat posed by an overall erosion of public spaces, but because this narrative was already destined to end on a high note, that particular monster never breaks through the shiny veneer. 

The veneer, on that note, is indeed rather shiny. Originating as a means to raise funds for the main force behind the reconstruction, Make the World Better Foundation, the film has retained its roots (some low angle shots are a bit on the nose). The camera is usually performing its own sleek moves, the lighting is smooth, and the footage is blissfully blessed with perfect moments. But it is here that the three gymnasts show their grit more than ever; their self-possessed presence often effaces the brand advertisement quality of many of the sequences. 

But none of this is to summarily discount the form. In fact, it does a great job of highlighting the best of the athletes. They shine—each one of them—in the direct to camera interviews, startling and stoic in speech and expression. Their techniques are marvellously shot. And when the camera quietly observes them, the stillness is a breath of fresh air that makes room for us to see their complex inner lives. The strokes of a brush at a painting in progress, an older sister training her little sister in their living room, an athlete holding flowers, holding her tears back—they have an intense impact. 

The final minutes are of triumph and celebration as the new facility is inaugurated. It comes to life only as the scores of children, coaches and general residents burst in. The slow motion shots are earned. 

The gymnastics team has its floor back. One corner of the world is actually better. 

Watch Underdogs Documentary Trailer