Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download this movie.
Plot Summary
Former Ugandan child soldier Kassim Ouma, now 29, seems to have obtained the American Dream with his jovial nature, fame as a Jr. Middleweight champ and hip hop lifestyle. As he trains for his next world title fight against Jermain Taylor in Little Rock, keeping his demons out of the ring becomes increasingly difficult. His desire to reunite with family in Uganda intensifies when his only hope for a safe return is a military pardon from the president and government responsible for his abduction. Director Kief Davidson (THE DEVIL'S MINER) received unprecedented access to Ouma during a pivotal time in the boxer's career. Filmed in cinema vérité, current events are skillfully woven into brutal revelations of a stolen childhood. The parallels reveal a complex and haunted fighter surviving against incredible odds. WINNER! IDA Best Doc; Ann Arbor Fest Life Force Award; US Sports Film Fest Audience Award. "A nuanced survivor's story that memorably transcends its genre" –Whip, LA DAILY NEWS. From IFC Films.
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
50%- Reviews Counted: 12
- Fresh: 6
- Rotten: 6
- Average Rating: 5.4/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: Kassim Ouma has, to say the least, an unusual life story....The filmmaker Kief Davidson recounts this vivid tale in the dull documentary.
Fresh: The story of Kassim "the Dream" Ouma and his rise from Ugandan child soldier to world champion boxer combines serious human rights issues with incredible triumph-over-adversity sports lore.
Fresh: A nuanced survivor's story that memorably transcends its genre.
Rotten: Full of obvious good intentions, the film still suffers from a rambling narrative that leaves too many loose ends.
Customer Reviews
Great Documentary
This is a great documentary that will provide perspective for all of us stressed out today. Kassim's life story is unique to us, but probably more common around the world than we, Americans, can possibly imagine -- a poignant and riveting look into struggle and adversity. This documentary avoids the cliches typical to the rags to riches story. And it's not a rags to riches story, more like -- certain death to survival.
Viewers Also Bought
![Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp
- Jorge Hinojosa
- View In iTunes
![Pulling John](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- Pulling John
- Sevan Mattossian & Vassiliki Khonsari
- View In iTunes
![Anderson Silva: Like Water](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- Anderson Silva: Like Water
- Pablo Croce
- View In iTunes
![Pelada](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- Pelada
- Luke Boughen, Rebekah Fergusson, Gwendolyn Oxenham & Ryan White
- View In iTunes
![Fightville](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- Fightville
- Petra Epperlein & Michael Tucker
- View In iTunes
![Kassim the Dream](https://s.mzstatic.com/htmlResources/F3F8/frameworks/images/p.png)
- $12.99
- Genre: Documentary
- Released: 2009
- © 2008 Believe Media & Urban Landscapes Productions