Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Chinese Heavyweight

documentary

Routine piece on the introduction and rise of Western style boxing to China. We follow a 30-something former champion who has been hired by the state to bring along young people in the sport for future olympic competitions. Some of these kids -boys and girls - look about 8 years old.

Doc was sugar-coated - presented more as a Rocky story than the spread of a dubious athletic sport to a population outside it's traditional range. In fact boxing is anathema to confucian values so youngsters have to be re-indoctrinated before they can take it up.

Professionally produced film in every sense but it left me uneasy in its ramifications.

5

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