Behold – a new Russian film that doesn’t wallow in misanthropic degradation, and leaves you wanting to take a swim, rather than a shower.  Unlike many of his compatriot contemporaries, first-time director Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov employs a rather light touch, in no small part aided by his decision to shoot his story in Cuba, where even in the pits of despair, you can find some measure of grace – and salsa rhythms. Shot on HD right under the noses of Cuban censors, mixing amateurs with professional actors, letting them improvise their own slangy dialogue and, it seems, the film’s storyline.

Kosyrev-Nesterov does not speak Spanish, never mind the kind of Spanish spoken in Cuba - Kosyrev-Nesterov somehow ends up with the most authentic and credible presentation of Cuba we’ve seen on film so far. From the smallest detail to the grand, inhuman tragedy of a closed society, Ocean proves that love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a universal struggle, fought against far larger barriers than language.

Sindre Kartvedt