Fight Club

A tender moving tale about the lives of young pugilists in a rough impoverished Jerusalem neighborhood and their inspirational boxing coach – ex-national champion, Gershon Luxenburg – was screened by the ESRA cinema club last November. This delicately edited film seduces the audience into the life stories of the characters in the boxing club. Christina is a young national champion has no contact with her father and is anchored to the world solely by her relationship with Gershon whom she looks up to and depends on. Gershon's relationship with a young Palestinian man, Gaitke, is pivotal to the film as their friendship falters when Gaitke cannot fight due to his health problems. Gershon's commitment to his young boxers and his club is extremely touching. There are ups and downs as the fighters take part in national championships – they win, they lose, and on occasion face unfair decisions from the judges. Director Helen Yanovsky followed her subjects over a period of four years, and interweaves their stories with a lightness of touch enabling us to feel every blow, every disappointment and every joy.