The Fists of the Father

Synopsis

In the heart of western Sydney, three generations of men in a family of champion boxers are trapped in a cycle of violence. Ted ‘Little Boy Blue’ Taylor has replaced his estranged father Ron – a disgraced former heavyweight champion on the cusp of an unexpected comeback – as the darling of Australian boxing. But after two uninspiring losses, he is failing to live up to the expectations that have always weighed so heavily upon him. Ted’s battles are not isolated to his sport: a painful history of alcoholism, domestic abuse and ties to the underworld of boxing has a firm hold on the Taylor family. Generational trauma and guilt are not Ted’s only inheritance. Now he is silently enduring the effects of years of concussions – in the ring, and in childhood at the hands of his father – which are threatening to end his career prematurely. Ted is trained by his grandfather, a Vietnam vet seeking escape from his demons through drinking and gambling. Pop manages to find a certain peace in his love for his sport and his grandson, although he is unknowingly causing damage by trying to protect Ted from the father–son showdown that the industry is baying for. When someone from the world beyond boxing enters his life, Ted begins to see a new, more hopeful future for himself – but only if he has the courage to walk away from his family’s volatile legacy. By finding the strength to choose, can he free them all?