The Other Dream Team (Marius A. Markevicus, 2012 USA)

The Other Dream Team by (Marius A. Markevicus, 2012 USA)

Reviewed By Brendan Beaghler , Santa Barbara Film Festival

There are some movies that just make you want to jump out of your seat and pursue your deepest, athletic ambitions.  A film so inspiring, so grip taking, and so motivating that you feel you can do whatever your goals are and nothing will stop you. The Other Dream team was this for me.

Basketball is a one of my deepest passions in life and I considered myself pretty knowledgable about major basketball events, teams, and history. Well after seeing this film, I realized how many inspiring stories I still have yet to hear about. One of my favorite basketball sport films was More than A Game which highlights the NBA star Lebron James journey from an eighth grader to becoming an NBA player out of high school. The Other Dream Team is now my new favorite because it is not just the journey that these athletes went on, but the personal and political barriers they had to overcome.

The Other Dream Team is a documentary about the struggles and successes of four Lithuanian Basketball Players that were part of the 1988 Gold Medal Soviet Team.  The film is directed by Marius A. Markevicus The film goes into the struggles for Lithuanian independence from the Soviet Union. The film highlights the careers of Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis,,  the two main players that led the 1988 olympic team. They also document a current Lithuanian Basketball Star named Linas Kleiza who is trying to get drafted into the NBA. IN addition show when the Lithuninain team played in the 1992 Olympics the first time as an independent nation against the Soviet team in the Bronze medal game. Lithuania was such a poor country that they had to fundraise in order to compete in the Olympics and they got a huge donation from The Grateful Dead in order for this to happen.  It was a great thing they could compete in the Olympics because they showed their dominance in basketball over the Soviet Union After they won that game it was like winning the NBA championship ten times they said, one of the biggest games in their history. It was more then just a game it was a political statement showing that even though Lithuanian was a small country they weren’t afraid of the big and powerful Soviet Union.

In Lithuanian basketball is the number one sport and is a huge part of the nation’s culture and identity. The Lithuanian people remind me of a giant basketball team. When the Soviet Union sent troops to invade the country to get control of the country the people of the nation united as one. Urged by their president they all went to the nations capital and would not let the more powerful and stronger Soviet Union take over their land. The Other Dream Team is a the little guy versus the big guy story like David and Goliath. It  is a film I can personal relate to because in the basketball world I am that little guy. It gives hope to me as an athlete and an individual that with hard work, dedication, and refusal to lose attitude that anything is possible. I know that sounds a little cliche, but after you see the movie you will know exactly what I am talking about.