UPPERCUT is the English language remake of Torsten Ruether's debut feature LEBERHAKEN that had its World Premiere as the opening night film at the 28th Oldenburg International Film Festival in September 2021, before becoming a Paramount+ Original in Germany.

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UPPERCUT is also a two-version film-experience...

In the “still” Arthouse-version, on a summer night in 2014, Toni (Luiii) enters Elliott’s boxing gym in Bushwick, New York City, after having been fired from her job as a personal trainer. Determined, she wants to become a fighter. Elliott (Ving Rhames) first refuses to train her but in the course of the night these two, so different people become more and more curious about each other. They fight, they dance, they argue. They talk without fear, they listen without prejudice. On boyfriends and mothers, on respect and beliefs. But their last bout changes Toni's fate forever.

Adding another layer, the “sparkling” version, which also stars Jordan E. Cooper and Joanna Cassidy, intercuts between past and present. Today, nine years later, Toni has forsaken her dream of becoming a professional boxer but now passes Elliot's wisdom on to her young protégés as one of the first successful female boxing managers. Her greatest hope is Payne, who she mentors at his very first championship fight night.

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Feature - World Premiere as closing night film at the 30th Oldenburg International Film Festival

Length: 110 minutes

Writer / Director: Torsten Ruether

Cast: Ving Rhames, Luise Grossmann, Jordan E. Cooper, Joanna Cassidy

In co-production with Hello Moment Productions (Germany), Good Weird Films (US)and It's Just Us Productions (US)

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