Lève ta garde, mon homme

“Fourteen-year old Daniel lives in Stains. He has been Thai boxing since he was ten. With 10 fights and 10 victories to his name, he has that little extra which marks out the talented and, for his trainer, he has the makings of a champion. Although he is studying for his exams to be a painter-decorator, all he thinks about is boxing. This film portrays a youngster who has the courage of his dreams and challenges the future. It is also the story of the closely-knit Chemmi family who, were their wallet as full as their hearts, would be as rich as kings. Martial, the father, has encouraged four of his sons to take up boxing… as a way to success. This is this firm belief, and when he says that he prefers the violence of boxing to drugs, these are not empty words, for Dad is also a fan, a trainer and there to tend any injuries. This film can be seen as a painful struggle to conquer the future, a dream forged with determination, in violence and pain…” (Christian Poveda)