Fighting Back

À Saint-Domingue va se disputer le championnat mondial de boxe amateur. Tandis que Asif Dar, du Canada, se prépare avec son entraîneur Ken Hamilton, le film opère un passionnant retour sur l'enfance et la montée de ce jeune immigrant d'origine pakistanaise qui a dû très tôt se défendre à mains nues contre les préjugés raciaux, ce qui l'a amené à monter dans le ring et à y rester!

The Golden Gloves boxing tournament is the Canadian amateur's hope for success in the boxing world. This film shows three Montréal boxers in training. In behind-the-scenes interviews they talk about their ambitions and what prompted them to take up boxing.

A group of young Afghan women strive to become world-class boxers, training without the benefit of even the most basic facilities at the national stadium, where only recently women were executed by the Taliban. They are loyal to their country, yet dare to defy its traditions. Inspired by their tenacious coach, these courageous boxers openly dream of their future, and even a shot at the 2012 Olympics. Committed to a challenging regime and enduring family and societal pressures to abandon their training, the women are determined to fight their way onto an international stage. The film shadows them closely over the course of a year, and we come to know them both as individuals and as a team of competitors punching well above their weight. The Boxing Girls of Kabul reveals a compelling journey of both personal and political transformation, and illustrates the power of fighting for what you believe in.