Olympic boxer Ramla Ali's remarkable life story, from fleeing the Somalian civil war to competing at the Tokyo Olympics, is the subject of a new biopic, In the Shadows, which premiered at the London film festival. The film stars Jasmine Jobson, known for her role in Top Boy, and is directed by Anthony Wonke.
Ali attended the premiere of the film about her life, wearing a dress with cascading black feathers. She received messages from Bear Grylls and Malala Yousafzai, who were in the audience. Her mother, watching the film for the fourth time, told Ali she loved it.
A Journey from Somalia to the Olympics
Ali was born in Somalia. When she was a baby, her older brother Abdulkadir was killed in an explosion while playing. The family fled Somalia, crossing by boat to Kenya, and eventually arrived in the UK as refugees.
Growing up in east London, Ali joined a boxercise class at a local gym after being bullied about her weight. She kept her boxing secret from her family, knowing it would not be allowed as a Muslim girl. Her mother, who had worked to move the family away from violence, would have been devastated to see her in harm's way. Today, her mum is the first person Ali calls after a fight.
The Film's Origins and Family Support
The idea for the film first came up eight years ago. Ali's husband, Richard Moore, who was her coach and is an executive producer on the film, said one of the biggest reasons for pitching it in 2018 was practical: they were broke. They were down to their last hundred quid and were housed by friends, including a home owned by Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina.
Ali had doubts about making the film, feeling vulnerable about sharing her life with a writer. She also considered her family's trauma, noting that none of them were initially up for it. Her mother came around first and insisted that the scene where her brother was killed be included. Moore believes it was a way of keeping him alive, remembering him and making his death mean something bigger.
Ali reflected on her brother's death as a ripple effect: "If my brother hadn't died, we wouldn't have come to the UK. I wouldn't have taken up boxing. I wouldn't have met Richard. My life would be so different."
A Positive Migrant Story
Ali said the film is not a pro-immigration statement but offers another point of view on migrants arriving on boats. "It's depicting a human migrant story. Immigration has been weaponised politically to drive division in this country. Positive migrant stories don't sell newspapers in the same way, so they rarely get told. But they are far more representative of the people who come here and build lives, families and careers. If audiences walk out seeing a person rather than a headline, the film has done its job."
In 2015, Ali became the first Muslim woman to win an English amateur boxing title. Six years later, she competed at the Tokyo Olympics as the first boxer in history to represent Somalia. She has modelled, appearing on the cover of British Vogue guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex. In 2018, she set up Sisters Club, a charity providing free boxing classes to vulnerable women, and she is a Unicef ambassador.
Behind the Scenes and Acting Debut
Ali worked hard on the film, reading every draft of the script and being on set every day. She even body doubled in the boxing scenes. She and Moore have also written and directed a comedy film together, Not Like Us, and she has tried acting.
Jasmine Jobson, who plays Ali, took over from Letitia Wright, who was initially attached to the project. Jobson prepared for the role with only two weeks of training, spending eight hours a day boxing. She said she fell in love with Ali when they met for coffee, admiring how she has overcome so much and become an international success.
Jobson, who placed herself in foster care at age 14, sees similarities with Ali: "It's not that we've had the same life experiences, but we both had struggles and we both had a dream." In the Shadows is in UK and Irish cinemas from 30 October.
