The Cinematic Life of Boxing

The BFI Southbank's latest themed film season delves into the essence of a sport that has been as influential on generations of athletes and fans as it has on cinema itself.

Through the lens of boxing, cinema has presented stories of love, triumph, personal struggle, racial injustice, politics, class identity, disability and the human spirit, cementing the sport’s place in the pantheon of film.

The month-long season brings together some of the finest examples of the boxing genre alongside hidden gems and underappreciated works that span drama, comedy and documentary.

The programme includes scores of Hollywood stars playing in some of their most iconic and critically acclaimed roles, the likes of Rocky, Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby, Ali, The Boxer, The Hurricane, Creed and The Fighter, as well as documentary films such as When We Were Kings, and Earning the Ropes, a new documentary about the East End’s Repton Boxing Club, recognised as one of the most famous in amateur boxing.