Small, Slow But Steady

Small, Slow But Steady (Keiko, Me wo Sumasete), directed by Sho Miyake, is a Japanese film about Keiko, a deaf semi-professional boxer, continuing her career while her gym faces closure and its elderly president battles illness. The film is adapted from the memoir Makenaide! (Don't Give Up!) by Keiko Ogasawara, Japan's first deaf professional boxer since childhood, though the story has been shifted a decade forward from the real events, to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics have called it one of the first major pandemic films for reflecting the lessons of mutual support and community resilience the pandemic taught, praising its understated, near-documentary approach. The film won five awards at the Mainichi Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress; lead actress Yukino Kishii also won Best Actress at the Japan Academy Film Prize. Who it's for: anyone curious about an understated boxing drama adapted from the real life story of Japan's first deaf professional boxer, one that reflects the mood of the pandemic era. Who it's not for: those wanting a classic, triumphant sports movie victory, since the film moves at a quiet, introspective pace.