[Reporter Xu Shiying/Report from Taipei] Boxing star Su Jingwen, who was once expected to challenge for the Olympics and win four consecutive Chinese Games championships, finally chose to leave the ring! The documentary "Children Far from Their Ancestors" followed urban aboriginal young people Su Jingwen and Liu Lichen for six years, recording the journey of two former boxing stars from having high hopes to saying goodbye to boxing at a turning point in their lives. Su Jingwen recently appeared at the premiere and saw her and her coach's story again on the big screen for the first time. She burst into tears on the spot and even hugged and reconciled with her former coach.
Su Jingwen became a national player in her sophomore year of high school and started intensive training. She was once expected to have a great chance to challenge for the Olympics. (Old Vision Culture and Arts Co., Ltd.)
Director Huang Kaijing revealed that she was shocked when she first saw the children fighting in the boxing ring. "I was a little scared when I saw a group of children fighting on the ring. Every fist was aimed at hoping that the other party would fall." However, as the filming progressed, she gradually discovered that boxing is not only about winning and losing, but also symbolizes the power of children trying to break through the real environment. "They are a group of children who are trying to break restrictions, labels, and their own weaknesses with their fists."
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Su Jingwen had high hopes, but eventually decided to give up boxing. (Old Vision Culture and Arts Co., Ltd.)
For economically disadvantaged children, boxing may bring bonuses, opportunities to enter higher education and even turn their lives around, but the reality is that hard work does not necessarily change their destiny. Chen Zheyu, the coach of the Reyuan Boxing Team who has been accompanying urban aboriginal youths for a long time, said frankly that after some children leave school and boxing, they may still follow their families to work in menial labor and labor. Even if they are seen by the outside world for boxing, the children may even ask: "What will they do if they know it?" He sighed: "I really think they can do it, but the difficulty is that children's imagination of the future is still limited."
Among them, Su Jingwen has won four consecutive National Games championships, a gold medal in the Universiade and a bronze medal in the Thailand Open. She became a national player in her second year of high school and served as a sparring partner for Taiwan Olympic boxing medalist Huang Xiaowen. She was once optimistic about having the opportunity to challenge for the Olympics. However, under the pressure of intensive training and life, she disappeared and lost contact for a time. It was not until her junior year that she suddenly asked Mingde High School coach Liu Chengxi, who had been with her for 6 years, to give up boxing.
"Children Far From Their Ancestor Spirits" recently held its premiere. (Old Vision Culture and Arts Co., Ltd.)
Liu Chengxi recalled that he was very sad when he learned the news, "She gave up the castle we built together." Although he was reluctant to give up, he ultimately respected Su Jingwen's decision, "Each player will have different problems due to their family background, so we work hard without expecting anything in return, and naturally we feel at ease."
Su Jingwen even confessed in the film: "I feel like I don't understand myself." Huang Kaijing revealed that after leaving boxing, she once had the idea of returning to the national team, but finally decided to give up, and later admitted that she regretted it. The director lamented: "The boxing career was cut off like this, and I feel very sorry for her, but sometimes, maybe regret is also a process of growing up."
Su Jingwen attended the premiere in person a few days ago and watched her 6 years of life being shown on the big screen. After the screening, she couldn't help crying and even hugged and reconciled with her coach on the spot. She admitted that she didn't really understand the coach's mood until she watched the movie. "My heart was sad, and I thought I had let down the coach. Fortunately, I came to the scene today and talked things out with the coach."
Another protagonist, Liu Lichen, has taken a completely different life path. He was a troubled boy when he was young. After he came into contact with boxing, he found an outlet to express his strength. He won many national championships in junior high school and was selected for the national team. However, he encountered a low performance in high school, and his boxing career was unexpectedly ended due to a car accident in his senior year.
After being unable to stand in the ring anymore, Liu Lichen was encouraged by Chen Zheyu to study social work and returned to the place where he grew up for an internship. From a "child who was caught" back then, he became a "person who catches others" today. Chen Zheyu was very touched when he learned that he had decided to embark on the road of social work. Liu Chengxi was also pleased to say, "Lichen continues to do what he loves with us in a different way."
For two young men who once shone in the ring, leaving the ring doesn't mean the end of the story. "Children Far From Their Ancestral Spirits" also takes the camera away from victory and defeat in the arena and back to life itself. When champions, national players or even the Olympics are no longer the only answer, what they really have to face is who they want to be after taking off the gloves. "Children Far from the Ancestor Spirits" has been officially released in Taiwan.
