13-year-old Arminius navigates the contrasting worlds of his unique sport: chessboxing. In one moment, he is immersed in the calm concentration of the chessboard; in the next, he is engaged in the intense physicality of the boxing ring. This challenging balance extends into his home life, where his father, also his boxing coach, imposes rigorous training. Together, they prepare for the upcoming German championship.
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Director’s statement
At first, “chessboxing” sounded a little bit funny to me. I play chess with my friends from time to time and couldn’t see any of us ever landing a punch if we tried. None of the boxers I knew seemed to be that much into board games, either. But when I met Arminius and his father Robert, I quickly realised that they weren’t joking. There was an intense dynamic between the two of them and the training seemed extremely tough, especially for a 13-year-old.
Arminius reminded me of my own past as a competitive athlete and how difficult it was for me to deal with the high expectations of my coaches. I wanted to capture what it feels like to be under so much pressure as a child and to have to deal with the constant fear of losing. As we followed them into their home, their relationship revealed itself to be complex and multi-layered. We got to know a warm-hearted, sports-mad family who stand behind Arminius and want the best for him. Robert wasn’t just a strict coach but also a loving father who Arminius looks up to. I hope that the film does justice to the ambivalence of these roles.
We were limited to a five-day filming period and felt that for our film to work, we needed an event that would put Arminius and his family in a new situation and challenge them. The German chessboxing championships were the perfect occasion and driving force for the film.
| Director | Jakob Michal |
| DoP | Suzanne de Carrasco |
| Producers | Lisa Brandel |
| Adrian Ide | |
| Dramaturgy | Elsa Hoffmann |
| Sound | Gerrit Schrepel |
| Music | Matias Santos |
| Editing | Kaspar Haußig |
| Jakob Michal | |
| Production | Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF |