TYSON

Directed by James Toback

Premiere date: April 24, 2009

R for language including sexual references.

An intimate and moving no-holds-barred portrait of a humbled Mike Tyson told in the words of the former heavyweight champion. Mike Tyson examines his own life in and out of the ring with a candor, eloquence and vulnerability that is by turns poignant, funny and never less than brutally honest. Through a deft mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a surprisingly complex, fully-rounded human being emerges. The film ranges from Mike's earliest memories of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, including his rollercoaster ride through the funhouse of worldwide fame and his fortunes won and lost. Tyson offers much more than a documentary about a former heavyweight champ - it is the story of a legendary and uniquely controversial international athletic icon, a figure conjuring radical questions of race and class, and a man who arose from the most debased circumstances and soared to seemingly unlimited heights, followed by destruction generated by hubris, like a character out of a classical tragedy.

Cannes Film Festival

Regard Knockout Award