Laila B - an actress gets in the boxing ring

Laila B PIC via Facebook

How often have you heard about an actor who really  beefed-up and took on a huge physical challenge to play a boxer? A lot, right? How often do those boxers actually fight? Hardly ever.

In this latest Kickstarter project on women’s boxing, the team at “Laila B” are taking a more hands-on approach.

David Williams from the production team contacted me with this intriguing blurb: “In the midst of an identity crisis, Laila B. crosses paths with a deceased woman and discovers her first pair of boxing gloves.”

Unlike documentaries featured here before this is a scripted story inspired by true events in producer and actor Amy DePaola’s life. If you’re into film, they say it’s done in “cinéma vérité” or truth style.

Main character Laila B gets attacked outside her apartment. At first distraught, she later hears of a similar attack which resulted in the death of another woman. This makes her re-assess her own situation and she grabs what she sees as a second chance at life with both hands. Or both gloves.

De Paola says: “Part of cinéma vérité is to shoot what is really happening and be a fly on the wall. So I’m actually training to fight, and I am really, really scared.”

Amy de Paola via Kickstarter

She will take part in a fight on October 7th as part of charity boxing event “Haymakers for Hope Belle of the Brawl”.  

Their Kickstarter goal for Laila B is $7,000 (€6,200) of which just over $4,000 is already raised.

So what are you paying for? The crew has just this week gone into production so that final push over the line is what they’re looking for help with at this stage.

People have different opinions on Kickstarter and its value. But I think if you don’t like it, then don’t get involved.

I spoke to VICE’s Lindsey Newall about crowdfunding in sport for "The Expensive Road to Thailand, Crowdfunding in MuayThai."