For 15 breathtaking minutes, we follow Tepito, a Mexican boy who dreams of becoming a professional boxer, in close-up—from the moment he registers for his first match, through his confrontation with his opponent in the ring and his wait between the ropes for the winner to be announced, to the liberating moment afterward, when he can be a child again for a while with his little brother in the street. The intimate effect of the 16mm film, combined with the intense colors and immersive soundtrack, draws the viewer into Tepito’s world, where he is simultaneously driven on and held captive by his father’s shouted instructions and his own, perhaps overly ambitious aspirations.
For the Opponents won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
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