Go to content
Documentary portrait of former boxing champion Rudi Lubbers and his wife Ria. After the legendary fight against Mohammed Ali in 1973 things never really turned right for Rudi.
Muhammad Ali was unable to knock him to the canvas. For twelve rounds, Rudi Lubbers, one of Holland's most successful boxers ever, stayed on his feet against the boxing legend. But he only really learned to take left and right hooks during his twenty-year long relationship with Ria, a fairground attraction owner and the love of his life. Already in the beginning of the film, the comparison with Ali forces itself upon the spectator, when Lubbers dances in front of the camera, bragging and shadowboxing. But in the (usually just) verbal fights with his ever-sneering Rietje, he grows smaller and smaller. When he disappears without a trace after the umpteenth squabble, it is clear that Ria, despite her big mouth, is devoted to her champion. And apparently Ruud is unable to live without his partner, either. In this revealing, hilarious and tragic document, director Roy Dames demonstrates how thin the line is between love and hate.

Credits

Set geluid
Mixage
Soundpalette
Production company
Springfilm
TV company
NTR
Distributor NL
Springfilm

Title: Ruud & Ria - Tot de dood ons scheidt
Year: 2002
Duration : 55 minutes
Category: Short Documentary
Edition: NFF 2002

NFF Archive

You are now in the NFF Archive. The archive contains contains information on film, TV and interactive productions that were screened at past festival editions. The NFF does not dispose of this material. For this, please contact the producer, distributor or broadcaster. Sometimes, older films can also be found at the Eye Film Museum or the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.