REVIEW: ‘Hands of God: The True Story of the Iraqi Olympic Boxing Team,’ now on DVD and digital
Photo: A boxer competes in the new documentary Hands of God. Photo courtesy of Film Movement / Provided by Foundry Communications with permission.
Hands of God: The True Story of the Iraqi Olympic Boxing Team, directed by Riccardo Romani and executive produced by Alfonso Cuarón, is a relatively quick look at a few athletes training for the 2016 Olympic games. For these boxers, representing Iraq on a global scale means a great deal. The country often makes the headlines for its struggles with terrorism and war, but these competitors offer a more positive take on the Middle Eastern nation.
The film follows the travails of Waheed, Jafaar and Saadi, whose training comes at a time when the country is debilitated by ISIS attacks. Romani’s documentary never probes too far into their personal lives, instead focusing on their training and the qualifying rounds that lead up to the 2016 games. They are physically determined to overcome any obstacles and fight their way to the top, but of course they need to compete against equally determined athletes from around the world. From the opening minutes, there’s no doubt that heartache will be part of this narrative, much like the heartache intrinsic to competitive sports.
As subjects, the trio of boxers proves to be both interesting and illustrative. They are part of a new generation of Iraqis trying to psychologically deal with the consequences of decades of war. They hold that trauma on their shoulders, trying to process it, push it away, understand it and ultimately overcome it. Accomplishing these tasks is not always easy because the pull of military service is hovering in the background, and the violence and bombs continue as they train in the ring.
Structurally, the film is quite basic. There’s an end goal — qualification for the Olympics — and Romani never ventures far from that path. He doesn’t even move one minute beyond that goal, to see how the boxers fared, mostly because the end prize has little to do with the overall story. This is a documentary about the journey, much more than the accolades or hoisting that gold medal.
Hands of God, alternately known as Throwing Bombs in Baghdad, is an intimate portrait of young men trying to write a different story for themselves and their nation. They hold on to the colors of the Iraqi flag with obvious pride, knowing that their path in life has been difficult but instructive, soul-crushing but revelatory. These boxers should not be underestimated for one second. They bring a lot more than their physical prowess each time they step into the ring.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Hands of God: The True Story of the Iraqi Olympic Boxing Team (2020). Directed by Riccardo Romani. Running time: 78 minutes. Rating: 
