Book Tickets
With unprecedented access to Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the heavyweight boxing world for more than a decade, Klitschko: More than a Fight captures the longest serving Mayor of Kyiv as he holds his city together in the face of constant Russian aggression.
The film traces Vitali’s journey from the ring to the highest office in Kyiv. It witnesses his rise through the city’s political ranks during the 2014 Maidan revolution and how he won massive support with his campaign against corruption. But his true metal was tested and proven as he helped bolster the city’s morale during the first days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and subsequent aerial bombardment by its army. At the same time, Wladimir used his celebrity status to raise funds and military support, helping to ensure the conflict remains in the minds of the world’s leaders and populace.
Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald (High & Low: John Galliano, One Day in September, Touching the Void) draws on a wealth of archive and personal footage, alongside new interviews, to tell the brothers’ story, from their Soviet childhood, through their sporting career, to their current role helping to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. It’s a riveting portrait of the strength it takes to hold a city and country together during times of conflict and shows us, as Macdonald notes, ‘what bravery and resilience really mean’.
The Opening Night film of Sheffield DocFest 31st edition is the World premiere of Kevin Macdonald's portrait of former heavyweight boxing world champion and current Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko.
The film traces Vitali’s journey from the ring to the highest office in Kyiv. It witnesses his rise through the city’s political ranks during the 2014 Maidan revolution and how he won massive support with his campaign against corruption. But his true metal was tested and proven as he helped bolster the city’s morale during the first days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and subsequent aerial bombardment by its army. At the same time, Wladimir used his celebrity status to raise funds and military support, helping to ensure the conflict remains in the minds of the world’s leaders and populace.
Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald (High & Low: John Galliano, One Day in September, Touching the Void) draws on a wealth of archive and personal footage, alongside new interviews, to tell the brothers’ story, from their Soviet childhood, through their sporting career, to their current role helping to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. It’s a riveting portrait of the strength it takes to hold a city and country together during times of conflict and shows us, as Macdonald notes, ‘what bravery and resilience really mean’.
