(Die Boxerin), Catharina Deus / NĚM, 2005
German / Czech subtitles, 100 min
ohanna (aka Joe) is at odds with the world. She loses the jobs the welfare office sends her to, fights with her mother over money and suffers the cruelty of the local girls, who call her 'dyke' because her face doesn't fit. An awkward mix of vulnerability and defiance, Joe is a shy girl who fights back and also an outsider who wants to belong. Her passionate friendship with best friend Stella and her love of boxing seem to show her a way out. But it takes real courage to be different and to stick to her dream. Director Catherina Deus has perfectly caught the feeling of being young and adrift.
