Les Poings de la fierté

For the last decade, Hélène Choquette has been exploring major social questions (Bonnes à tout faire, Avenue Zéro) and environmental issues (Les réfugiés de la planète bleue, Les enfants de Tchernobyl). Here, she takes a less activist stance while exposing the contradictions inherent in a subject that’s far more complex than it seems at first glance. In a Thai boxing camp on the Burmese border, young Burmese refugees are put through intensive training for upcoming bouts. If they win, Little Tiger and his friends will receive a handsome purse. There’s enormous pressure on their young shoulders, but they are also the beneficiaries of a lifeline cast by Thai coaches with unclear motives. Eschewing polemics and sensationalism, Hélène Choquette has made a film full of grey areas, brimming with respect for the young boxers’ immense courage.