“Fight Like A Girl” Shines at Calgary Black Film Festival: A Story of Grit, Grace, and Goma’s Girls

Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, Fight Like A Girl tells the story of an all-female boxing team in Goma, eastern DRC, founded by Congolese boxing legend Balezi “Kibomango” Bagunda in response to the country’s staggering levels of gender-based violence and poverty. Leutwyler met Kibomango while working with his Non-Profit Organization, We Are Limitless, which supports children and survivors of sexual violence in the DRC and Rwanda. The film, a fictionalized narrative inspired by real events, is deeply rooted in raw truth. Local street kids, militia members, and real boxers were cast in supporting roles to enhance authenticity.

In the starring role is Ama Qamata, best known as the lead from Netflix Africa’s most-watched series Blood & Water. She plays Safi, a young woman who escapes forced labor in an illegal gold mine and finds strength, and eventually purpose, through boxing. Hakeem Kae-Kazim delivers a powerful performance as Kibomango.

However, it is the performances by first-time actors Clarck Ntambwe and Blandine Florence that stole my heart. Ntambwe, who plays Aisha, portrays a role strikingly close to her real life as the no-nonsense lightweight champion of North Kivu. She has been training under Kibomango since age 14 and recently won silver at the African Zone 3 Championship. Florence, meanwhile, appears as a fictionalized version of herself, a fierce protector of Goma’s street girls, while currently experiencing real-life homelessness with her toddler child. (MORE)

VITA MAGAZINE CANADA INTERVIEW WITH MATTHEW LEUTWYLER

Travel & Culture

Fighting For Justice: Matt Leutwyler On Fight Like A Girl & The Real-Life Battle in Congo

As Fight Like A Girl opens the 2025 Toronto Black Film Festival, the film’s powerful message has taken on an even deeper significance. In a tragic turn of events, Kibomango, the real-life boxing coach portrayed in the film, was recently killed in rebel attacks in Goma, Congo—just as director Matt Leutwyler narrowly escaped gunfire while in the region.

Now, as the festival shines a spotlight on stories that demand global attention, Fight Like A Girl stands as a testament to resilience, survival, and the fight for justice. In this exclusive Q&A, we speak with Matt Leutwyler about the making of the film, the ongoing crisis in Congo, and how storytelling can be a catalyst for awareness and change. —Noa Nichol