A Fighting Chance

Duration:50'
Ratio:16:9
Language:English
Year of Production:2008
Director:Mark Andersson

At age 42, Australian boxing champion Nermin Sabanovic is making a comeback and dreaming of fighting for a world title, despite the concerns of his wife and two daughters.

Once a celebrity and Olympic champion in his former homeland of Bosnia, Nermin believes he still has what it takes to fight for a world boxing title. While he may have the support of the Bosnian community and his friends at the Aboriginal Sobriety Group where he works, his wife Indira and two daughters aren’t so sure. Nermin has been out of the ring for 10 years and his aging body may not be up to it.

Indira refuses to watch his fights and his eldest daughter Tea believes her father’s age makes boxing far too risky. Both of them constantly worry about injury or worse. They want Nermin to focus on his work as a project officer with the Aboriginal Sobriety Group. From nine years patrolling the streets to ensure the safety of Indigenous people, Nermin has come to consider himself as much Aboriginal as he is Bosnian-Australian. For Nermin’s family he is already a hero, a survivor, a pillar of strength and a well-respected leader in his community. So what does he have to prove?

As a high profile sports figure and a Muslim, Nermin and his family were forced to flee the war in the former Yugoslavia. After arriving in Australia in 1993 as a refugee, Nermin decided to turn professional. His years of international boxing experience put him in a strong position to win the Australian Super Cruiserweight Boxing Title, but a serious road accident a week before the fight forced him into retirement.

But Nermin’s decision to relive past glory may have some serious consequences. How will Nermin’s aging body hold up against a much younger opponent? Will a lack of sparring partners affect his abilities? How will all this affect his family?