Premieres Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand
POV explores the shadowy nexus of pro sports and the migrant trail in the acclaimed Cuban baseball feature "The Last Out". 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 Victor 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 versions of the film will premiere on PBS as part of POV's 35th season in October to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month and the start of the baseball playoffs.
Watch On Your Schedule:
"The Last Out" will be available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
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.
Credits:
A co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sami Khan ("St. Louis Superman") and Michael Gassert and produced by Gassert, Khan, and Jonathan Miller. The film is a co-production between Brew Media, Oscura Film, and Trogon Productions and received backing from the Sundance Institute, Rooftop Films, and The Gotham. On top of its honor at Tribeca, the film won the Audience Award at Hot Springs Documentary Festival, Grand Jury Prize at the Florida Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the Buffalo Film Festival, among others.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“As huge believers in public broadcasting, we are absolutely thrilled to partner with Erika Dilday, Chris, and the incredible team at American Documentary to bring 'The Last Out' to a diverse, bilingual U.S. audience,” said Gassert, Khan, and Miller. “We were raised on PBS and are excited knowing that Happy, Carlos, and Victor’s powerful immigrant journeys will be showcased bilingually using the accessible, democratic, and inclusive features of POV’s reach. For 35 years, POV has been a beacon to non-fiction filmmakers and participants, and we are so thankful for the indispensable role it plays in the documentary world.”
“Baseball is not just America’s pastime,” said Chris White executive producer at POV. “These young men are rooted in the game, yet their quest to get signed reveals the tenuous and tortured relationship between big league ball and the players sacrificing everything to get there. Baseball fan or not, you’ll be moved by the spirit and humanity in their stories.”
