Movie Review: Jewish fighter continues his quest for world title
What happens when you take a new pro fighter, who’s also a deeply religious Jew, and follow him as he embarks on a journey toward a world title? Welcome to the life of boxer Dmitriy Salita (29-0-1, 16 KOs). “Orthodox Stance” is a new film that gives you an insider’s view of Salita’s two worlds of religion and boxing. Just released on DVD, the film offers plenty of action in the ring while also showing the more personal side of the sport.
Salita began boxing at age 13, was a Golden Gloves champion at 18, and was first signed by Bob Arum in 2001. Through the eyes of the junior welterweight, we watch as he makes his way through the ranks while trying to keep kosher and not fighting on the Jewish Sabbath–and keeping away from the booze and the girls that always seem to be part of the boxing circuit.
While in Las Vegas for a fight, we witness the challenges of staying kosher during the Sabbath (from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) which means absolutely no work, no traveling, no cooking and no electricity! All this while you’re in Vegas–Sin City! Sounds like a reality show, but this is just one episode during Salita’s quest for a world championship and the conflicts he faces of being an observant Orthodox Jew while on road trips.
Living in Brooklyn, New York with his father and brother, we watch the “Star of David” maneuver through the dual worlds he has built. Losing his mother to cancer while in his youth, we hear Salita say that “boxing helps black out the pain and gives him a good sense of being.” The Russian immigrant speaks of the poverty his family endured and how he was picked on as a kid because of his “bad clothes and social level.” He explains that boxing helped get out his frustrations due to the family’s financial hardships and his struggle at school.
His manager and advisor Israel Liberow and Starrett City Boxing Club’s Jimmy O’Pharrow (Salita’s first amateur coach and current cornerman) are part of “Team Salita” who keep a careful eye on the fighter as he is invited to the White House to meet the President, endures training camp in the Poconos, switches trainers, and meets with Rabbis at the neighborhood Chabad Synagogues.
Director, cameraman, producer and editor Jason Hutt keeps it interesting by intercutting scenes of the gym, travels to fights, home life and the overall daily routine that he covered during a three-year period of Salita’s life that is showcased in this 82-minute film.
Shot documentary-style, this intriguing story captures the undefeated boxer, not only wrapping his hands in the gym, but also wrapping his hands (with tefillin) as he reads from the Torah. A symbolic gesture, the tefillin reminds observant Jews to remember the “strong arm” and keep the heart free of lust–not easy in or out of the boxing ring. How the young fighter manages to stay focused in both worlds is quite a challenge and makes his story even more compelling.
As a boxing fan my favorite scenes, of course, were the ones in the gym and seeing the fights in Vegas, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Atlantic City and New York. I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes footage of the dressing room atmosphere, pre-fight rituals, contract negotiations, press conferences and more that Salita experiences for the very first time. A bonus is seeing familiar faces that fighter meets along the way like a young Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto and Paulie Malignaggi who are seen briefly in the film also trying to achieve their goals on the canvas.
Once the cameras stopped rolling, Salita, now 26, continues his quest for a world championship belt. His most recent fight was on the undercard of the Roy Jones Jr.-Joe Calzaghe fight in November with Salita winning a unanimous decision over Derrick Campos in a 12-round bout. He is also featured in HBO’s new “Ring Life” series which profiles eight promising boxers with dreams of becoming a world champ.
HBO’s Harold Lederman gives the film two thumbs up and the “unofficial ringside scorer” gave me rave reviews about the fighter, “I’ve seen Dmitriy fight many times and he certainly gets much better every time he steps in the ring. What a wonderful inspiration Dmitriy Salita is to the youth of the world.”
And Lederman recommends the new DVD telling me, “I was one of the first to see the film. I saw it at the Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center last year. I loved the way they portray the progress of the career of a fighter, and how they show the public his life in the ring as it relates to his strong religious beliefs.”
A “Critic’s Pick” of the New York Times magazine, “Orthodox Stance” has won numerous awards in film festivals around the world. The Las Vegas premiere was held last month with Dmitriy Salita in attendance. The film has just been released on DVD, in association with Oxbow Lake Films and Indie Pix Films.
“Orthodox Stance” presents a new perspective to the boxing fan other than those three minutes during each round. And if you want a real insider’s view of what it’s really like trying to make your mark in the fight game, be sure to check out this new film!
Photos courtesy of www.orthodoxstance.com