The BFI today announces details of THE CINEMATIC LIFE OF BOXING, a season of films at BFI Southbank throughout April that capture the essence of a sport that has been as influential on generations of athletes and fans as it has on cinema itself. From screenings of Academy Award® Best Picture winners ROCKY (John G. Avildsen, 1976), celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese, 1980) and MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Clint Eastwood, 2004), to Best Documentary winner WHEN WE WERE KINGS (Leon Gast, 1996) as well as BODY AND SOUL (Robert Rossen, 1947), THE HURRICANE (Norman Jewison, 1999), ALI (Michael Mann, 2001), THE FIGHTER (David O. Russell, 2010), CREED (Ryan Coogler, 2015) and many more.
Dr. Clive Chijioke Nwonka, BFI Professor in Practice, Associate Professor of Film Culture and Society at University College London and THE CINEMATIC LIFE OF BOXING season curator said: “Some of the greatest works of cinema have mined their themes and narratives from the drama, spectacle and unrivalled emotion of boxing. Highly respected as a genre, these films continue to inspire generations of fighters across nations and identities with their compelling portrayals of the perseverance and human struggle associated with the sport.”
This BFI Southbank season brings together some of the finest examples of the boxing genre alongside hidden gems and underappreciated works that span drama, comedy and documentary. Together they explore how cinema, through the lens of boxing, has presented stories of love, triumph, personal struggle, racial injustice, politics, class identity, disability and the human spirit to cement boxing’s place in the pantheon of film.
Launching on 31 March, the season kicks off with the World Premiere of documentary LEARNING THE ROPES (2026) followed by a Q&A with director Ryan Pickard, narrator Ray Winstone and former World Champion boxer Darren Barker. Repton Boxing Club is recognised as one of the most famous amateur boxing clubs in the world, with alumni including Winstone, Barker, Pickard, Audley Harrison and former World Champions John H Stracey, Andy Lee and Maurice Hope. Through this candid portrait of Tony Burns, the club’s legendary former head coach, Pickard presents a singular account of his impact on the institution’s boxers past and present. Other events taking place throughout the season will include a Q&A on 14 April with former World Champion and Boxing Hall of Fame boxer Barry McGuigan, who famously trained actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his remarkable turn in THE BOXER (Jim Sheridan, 1997) which we also screen on the night, plus a Q&A with actor and writer Johnny Harris on 16 April following JAWBONE (Thomas Q. Napper, 2017), a Q&A with director Shane Meadows on 21 April following TWENTYFOURSEVEN (1997), a Q&A with former boxer and renowned coach Jimmy Tibbs and his son, former boxer and now coach Mark Tibbs on 28 Aprill following FIGHTERS (Ron Peck, 1991), and a discussion on gender in boxing with broadcaster and athlete Jeanette Kwakye and boxing writer Ruth Rapper on 15 April following MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Clint Eastwood, 2004). More events are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Further films playing in the season will include BODY AND SOUL (Robert Rossen, 1947), THE HURRICANE (Norman Jewison, 1999), ALI (Michael Mann, 2001) and THE FIGHTER (David O. Russell, 2010), all playing from 35mm prints, plus ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (Luchino Visconti, 1962), FAT CITY (John Huston, 1972), 50th anniversary screenings of ROCKY (John G. Avildsen, 1976), RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese, 1980), WHEN WE WERE KINGS (Leon Gast, 1996), CREED (Ryan Coogler, 2015), THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI (2016), JOURNEYMAN (Paddy Considine, 2017) and the UK Premiere of THE FEATHERWEIGHT (2023), Robert Kolodny’s impressive faux-documentary. Many screenings will also include introductions, with further details to be announced.
THE CINEMATIC LIFE OF BOXING is at BFI Southbank from 30 March – 30 April. Tickets for screenings and events are on sale to BFI Patrons on 9 March, BFI Members on 10 March, and to the general public on 12 March.
FURTHER PROGRAMME INFORMATION FOR THE CINEMATIC LIFE OF BOXING
Playing on 35mm, one of Hollywood’s most revered boxing films BODY AND SOUL (Robert Rossen, 1947) frames the spirit of the sport as a fight with one’s conscience as much as with a worthy adversary. Against the wishes of his family, amateur boxer Charlie Davis embarks on a professional career only to be faced with a dilemma when his success attracts the attention of the underworld. Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (Luchino Visconti, 1962) bridges the worlds of post-war neorealism and melodrama with the authentically realised world of amateur boxing as its backdrop. Rocco Parondi travels with his family from southern Italy to Milan, each one seeking prosperity, before a chance meeting with a sex worker tests the bond between Rocco and his brother Simone. Adapted by Leonard Gardner from his novel, FAT CITY (John Huston, 1972) captures the fragile hopes and dreams of those battling in the amateur boxing world. A raw but sensitive late-career gem from one of classical Hollywood’s great filmmakers, former pro Tully faces past demons while Ernie, his young protégé, grapples with his own personal challenges.
As much a film about the pursuit of love and happiness as it is the glory of the sport, 50 years on from its original release ROCKY (John G. Avildsen, 1976) remains one of the definitive films of the genre. Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Picture, Sylvester Stallone is the small-time Philly boxer-turned-mob henchman whose life is heading nowhere when he is offered a surprise once-on a-lifetime chance to fight Apollo Creed, the world heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese’s biopic RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese, 1980) depicts the life of legendary Bronx boxer Jake LaMotta, whose ascent to the world championship in the 1940’s was undermined by violence outside the ring and a fractious personal life. A masterpiece on many levels, with an era-defining Academy Award® winning performance by Robert DeNiro, this is an extraordinary study in masculinity, violence and the search for redemption. Elsewhere, FIGHTERS (Ron Peck, 1991) follows a group of young working-class boxers from the East End of London as they attempt to navigate their way to the top of their sport. This nuanced film by one of Britain’s most respected filmmakers movingly captures the raw conditions and visceral realities behind the bright lights of the fight. A screening on 28 April will be followed by a Q&A with boxers Jimmy and Mark Tibbs.
Winner of the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award®, WHEN WE WERE KINGS (Leon Gast, 1996) is a compelling assembly of stunning archive footage and interviews with those present for Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ – one of the defining moments of 20th Century sport – alongside contemporary voices including Spike Lee. It remains one of the greatest boxing documentaries of all time. In THE BOXER (Jim Sheridan, 1997), a former youth boxer and IRA member returns to Belfast after a 14-year stint in prison. Determined to reform and give back to his community, his attempts to resume his boxing career incurs the wrath of the IRA hierarchy leading Danny’s fight from the ring onto the streets. A screening on 14 April will be followed by a Q&A with former World Champion and Boxing Hall of Fame boxer Barry McGuigan, who famously trained actor Daniel Day-Lewis for the film. Meanwhile, playing on 35mm, THE HURRICANE (Norman Jewison, 1999) sees Denzel Washington’s up-and-coming boxer convicted of a triple homicide. Years later, a young African American lawyer works to overturn the sentence and uncover the racial injustice underpinning his case. Washington gives a committed and career-defining performance in Jewison’s heartfelt biopic.
Bob Hoskins achieved a career high with his portrait of Alan Darcy, a kindly everyman who reopens a local boxing club in TWENTYFOURSEVEN (Shane Meadows, 1997). Hoping it will have the same transformative impact upon a group of delinquent youths drawn to crime, as he prepares them for a public boxing match the boys find much-needed friendship and self-respect. A screening on 21 April will be followed by a Q&A with director Shane Meadows. Playing on 35mm, ALI (Michael Mann, 2001) ranks as a giant of Hollywood boxing dramas with an Academy Award®-nominated performance by Will Smith. Focusing on Muhammad Ali’s life between 1964 and 1974, Mann’s impressive biopic depicts him in the mists of the public, private and professional battles which transformed him into a charismatic public figure, one of the major icons of the century and the greatest of all boxers. Elsewhere, winner of the Academy-Award® for Best Picture, Director and Lead Actress, MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Clint Eastwood, 2004) follows Frankie, an ageing and cantankerous boxing coach who agrees to train a down-on-her-luck but persistent female boxer. As they defy the odds and prejudices to find success, a bond is forged between them in this quietly devastating drama – one of the great female boxing films. A screening on 15 April will be followed by a discussion on gender in boxing with broadcaster and athlete Jeanette Kwakye and boxing writer Ruth Rapper.
Playing on 35mm, THE FIGHTER (2010) was a break from David O. Russell’s earlier work and earned Academy Awards® for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Boxing is very much a family affair for Mickey Ward, who is coached by his addict older brother and managed by his overreaching mother. However, the arrival of love interest Charlene and a chance at a title shot inspires him to forge his own career away from the binds of his family. CREED (Ran Coogler, 2015), the second collaboration between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, cemented their status as the golden boys of contemporary Hollywood. Sylvester Stallone’s ageing boxer Rocky Balboa receives an unexpected visit from Adonis, the son of his late adversary-turned-friend Apollo Creed. After agreeing to train and mentor him, an unexpected shot at a world title allows both men to the chance to reconcile their emotionally turbulent pasts. COMPARTMENT NO. 6 director Juho Kuosmanen’s feature debut THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI (2016) is one of the boxing genre’s understated delights. It’s 1962 and Olli Mäki, a professional from the Finnish town of Kokkola, is given a shot at the featherweight world title at the Helsinki Olympics. Mäki is the underdog, but that might play in his favour as he nears one of the biggest sporting events in Finnish history.
Sheffield boxer Matty Burton collapses on the floor of his living room in JOURNEYMAN (Paddy Considine, 2017), the result of a life-threatening brain injury. Taking us through Matty’s turbulent journey to recovery, Paddy Considine’s powerful second feature highlights the dangers faced by boxers in the ring and the impact this can have upon their family, friends and sense of self. Elsewhere, JAWBONE (Thomas Q. Napper, 2017) movingly details how a man’s battles outside of the ring determine the success or failure of the fights fought within it. With a superb score by Paul Weller and magnetic, uncompromising performances by its leads, the film sees a former youth boxing champion who has lost his way turn to his childhood trainer to help him get back into the ring for one final fight. A screening on 16 April will be followed by a Q&A with actor and writer Johnny Harris and composer Paul Weller (schedule permitting). The UK premiere of THE FEATHERWEIGHT (Robert Kolodny, 2023) follows retired two-time featherweight world champion Guglielmo Papaleo, aka Willie Pep, as he grapples with the mundanity of life out of the spotlight, his relationship with a new wife half his age, and a resentful and troubled son. Robert Kolodny’s impressive faux-documentary, a fictional drama presented as a documentary, is a unique entry in this genre.
Finally, LEARNING THE ROPES (Ryan Pickard, 2026) explores the role of the amateur boxing club as a means of understanding community life and, on a wider level, the human condition. Housed in a corner of a former Victorian Bath House in London’s East End, Repton Boxing Club is recognised as one of the most famous amateur boxing clubs in the world and boasts alumni including Ray Winstone, Audley Harrison and former World Champions Darren Barker, John H Stracey and Maurice Hope. The club has played host for many films and music videos, including Take That’s first top-ten single It Only Takes a Minute and director Guy Ritchie’s LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS (1998). LEARNING THE ROPES is a candid portrait of Tony Burns, the club’s legendary former head coach, a singular account of his impact upon the institution’s boxers past and present. As previously mentioned, the World Premiere on 31 March to launch the season will be followed by a Q&A with director Ryan Pickard, narrator Ray Winstone and former World Champion boxer Darren Barker.
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