Small, Slow but Steady

Official selection

Coming of AgeSportsWomen

“A cinematic poem of silence, words traced in the air, and a riverside farewell between those who have wounded each other.” — Novelist EUN Huigyeong Based on the autobiography of a female boxer with a hearing disability, Small, Slow but Steady is not a sports film about overcoming hardship or achieving victory. Set in an old gym on the verge of demolition, the training and matches of boxer Keiko are portrayed as repetitive activities that quietly and steadfastly support her daily life. The film carefully captures not only Keiko but also the presence of those around her: the aging gym owner who looks after her despite his frail body, the coaches who train her, her supportive family, her coworkers, and even her opponents in the ring. Shot on 16mm film during the COVID-19 pandemic, the images beautifully record the small, persistent gestures that continue amid restrictive circumstances. Kishii Yukino, who plays Keiko, had only been training in boxing for three months when the shoot began, yet the boxing sequences she delivers radiate with a lively rhythm, as if they were choreography in a musical.

Programme note by NAM Daeun