Tough Cookies

In feature films, dramas about boxers generally follow a standard script: a talented boxer makes his way to the top by way of defeat. This makes the ultimate triumph seem so glorious. In Ruth Kaaserer´s documentary Tough Cookies, several coordinates shift right from the start. First of all, there is no longer a heroic narrative with a jubilant winner at the end, but instead, a straight forward look at an athletic milieu in which the daily rhythm is synchronized to practical routines. Second, the director carries out a gender switch: here, three U.S.-American women are the center of focus....