Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies

View Original

Gypsy Queen

1hr 57 min. | Director Hüseyin Tabak | 2009 Germany | German with German subtitles | PAL

Ali, a courageous woman and single mother of two kids, works with the trainer and owner of a rundown box club in order to provide for her family. Ali has the heart of a lioness, is proud, doesn't complain and works herself to the bone for her two children, as a cleaner in Hamburg’s famous nightclub “Ritze.” But deep in her heart Ali carries a wound: after she became an unmarried mother in Romania she was disowned by her father - for whom, until then, she was the Gypsy Queen, the queen of all Roma. When Ali discovers the boxing ring in the Ritze’s basement one day and gets to watch a fight, it brings back memories of boxing training with her father. Fully equipped and disappointed by life, Ali vents all her fury on the punching bag one evening. Tanne, ex-boxer and owner of the Ritze sees her and recognizes her talent. She starts to box again and sees the chance for a better life.