Ringside
Shot over eight years, Ringside captures the travails and triumphs of two young would-be professional boxers from Chicago’s volatile and impoverished South Side.
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Presented as part of the 2019 Sydney Film Festival
Recalling basketball documentary Hoop Dreams (SFF 1994), over eight years Ringside director André Hörmann follows two young African American men – Destyne Jr. and Kenny Jr. – and their trainer/fathers as they fight to make boxing their way out of a life of poverty, crime and violence. Both boxers are remarkably gifted but their paths take radically different directions. The film focuses in on the emotional relationships between the young men and their families – especially their fathers, who do their best to make sure their sons have better opportunities than they did. Ringside, which premiered this year in the prestigious Berlinale Generation 14plus strand, is an affecting exploration of family, life choices and hurdles in a volatile world, recommended for ages 12 and above.
Running Time: 1 h 33 Minutes
Language: English
Country: Germany
Directed by André Hörmann