A Knockout

Black boxing champion Michele Aboro grew up in South London, where life for a girl was never easy, let alone for a lesbian girl. Thanks to her perseverance and indisputable talent for martial arts, she managed to sign a contract with the biggest boxing promoter in Europe. She proceeded to win every fight and nothing seemed to stand in the way of a glorious boxing career. Nothing, that is, until her promoter prematurely terminated her contract. To her amazement, the reason was not that she lacked skills as a boxer, but rather that she was (and still is) reluctant to work on her image as a sexy boxing vamp. Michele feels ill at ease in the high-heels circuit and refuses to pose half-naked for magazines. The conclusion is that marketing and promotion apparently are more important than boxing achievement. As a result, the unbeaten champion's career came to a sudden halt. How far will Michele go to win outside the ring as well? In her own words, “I want to be the best in the world – as a boxer, not as a pin-up.” A Knockout demonstrates how hard it is not to compromise what you stand for in the face of sponsors' demands, and the importance of remaining yourself and following your passion. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)