Katie Taylor is the current Lightweight World Champion
KATIE: The return of the Warrior woman.
For a time now, there’s been a slow realisation that Western culture has been missing something. There’s been a slow move towards a physically stronger leading lady archetype, than has ever really been seen before. It has appeared sporadically in film, but not really been taken seriously until recently, with films like ‘Wonder Woman’ or ‘The Force Awakens,’ which featured highly feminine, but nevertheless warrior woman, ‘Ray’. However what about real life? Yes, for sure there’s been sportswomen, powerhouse Serena Williams to name just one shining example. However, that was in tennis, and let’s face it, tennis has long been seen as, well appropriate for ladies as well as played by gentlemen.
So please enter the ring, for those who don’t already know her, one Katie Taylor. A female Irish Boxer, she’s been responsible for bashing away the last taboos that ‘nice women don’t fight’, or show aggression. Katie has done more to bring women’s boxing to a place of respect and acknowledgement than has even been achieved before. Coming into true prominence at the Olympic Games of 2012, Katie not only won a gold medal for Boxing, but won the hearts of her countrymen.
However, since this spectacular achievement she’s gone through some tough times, and experienced, award winning filmmaker, Ross Whitaker captures her perfectly on this journey. Shot over a couple of years and beyond, this is documentary film making at its best, and perfectly shows us the contradictions, and true grit and personality of this reserved, but driven young woman. Whitaker not only puts her journey to get the respect and prominence for Women’s boxing under the microscope, but also shows us what it takes to train, train and train again to win. Yet for all the fighting, and well, aggression that boxing requires, what Whitaker has also captured is the sheer femininity of Katie Taylor. For this is no butch lady, but a pretty girl, who just happens to love to Box and demands the freedom to do so. In this aspect, the film is an inspiration to all female sports women and fighters. The beautifully edited and directed film also celebrates what an iconic, strong woman Katie Taylor becomes along the way. Although camera shy, Katie is possessed with a tenacity and charisma that have pushed her ever onwards and upwards.
KATIE - Film clip from the documentary.
Now with a list of achievements as long as her famously snappy boxer’s reach, Katie has been professional for a couple of years. Years where she carried out the same profile raising for Women’s Pro boxing she did as an amateur, but where fate threw her a few below the belt punches. A must see for all budding sports women, the film celebrates, glories and marvels in Katie’s journey to iconic status. And it’s a wonderful journey, and a very human one, which all audiences would enjoy no matter what they might be into on a Saturday night. For this is also a tale of the best of human nature, the strive for excellence, the refusal to give up, and the dedication to a cause played out to the max. This is a film that deserves all the accolades it gets. *****
Jane A. Foster
KATIE is available now on Digital & DVD
Britflicks filmmaker Jane A. Foster saw KATIE at the iconic Regent street cinema in, Regent Street, London W1, which champions independent film, classic cinema gems, and diversity in film for everyone. Screened as part of the St Brigid’s Day celebrations, ‘Katie’, was shown to highlight Irish Women in film as part of the celebrations about all things female and Irish, which ran from 1st to 3rd February 2019 in London.
