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Follows Toni's journey from seeking boxing training from Elliott, a gym owner, to becoming a pioneering female boxing manager guiding Payne to a championship fight, while drawing upon lessons learned from Elliott.

Outsiders becoming champions - and champions falling to the ground. UPPERCUT is a two-version-film-experience. In the so-called "still" version, one summer night 2014, TONI 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 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. How? See UPPERCUT "sparkling". The story's other chapter: Eight years later Toni surprisingly does not carry Elliott's knowledge in herself as a professional boxer but passes it on to her young proteges as one of the first successful female boxing managers. Her greatest hope is PAYNE, whom she mentors at his very first championship fight night. UPPERCUT - the "still" version world premiered at the International Film Festival in Oldenburg 2023, UPPERCUT - the "sparkling" version will have its World Premiere in early spring 2024.

Dusk. Day fades slowly towards night, offering some resistance. Steph enters Rick's boxing studio in Berlin-Wedding. She is insecure, wild, frustrated - and determined. She craves recognition. From Rick. The owner of the gym, a former heavyweight boxer from Boston. He once had everything a champ could need. Now, he is broken. Badly injured early in his career, worn out, disillusioned, sick. She has a lot of potential, but is not there yet. He can't do much more, and is painfully aware of it. She offers energy, determination and skill. In the course of this night, two soulmates find each other. Without knowing it. They talk, train, struggle, fight, cry, laugh. The result is wisdom, conflicts and injuries. She is pushed to her limit, and he is pushed beyond his. UPPERCUT is a chamber play. One night, two people. Who meet, look at each other, confront each other. Who get to know each other and through this, challenge each other, go beyond their limits. Who like each other, sometimes more, sometimes less. UPPERCUT is action, dance, boxing and sweat. UPPERCUT is life, tragedy, chance and failure. UPPERCUT is female, male, human.