When the Fight Isn’t Just Physical

Read Time:5 Minute, 26 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Constant Battles
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Genre: Documentary, Sports, Biography
Year Released: 2026
Runtime: 38m
Director(s): Mackenzie Stannard
Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

RAVING REVIEW: Ambition is easy to celebrate when it comes with victories and milestones, but CONSTANT BATTLES focuses on everything that happens before those moments ever arrive. It centers on the kind of pursuit that may not feel triumphant in real time; the “win” here isn’t a gold medal, it’s where progress is measured in small steps forward, and setbacks carry just as much weight as achievements.

The film follows Nyousha Nakhjiri as she trains to become the first Iranian-born female boxer to compete in the Olympics, but it doesn’t frame that goal as some distant finish line. Instead, it builds a story around the daily reality of what it takes to move onto something as demanding as pushing yourself not just to be the best female boxer of all time, but the desire to be the best boxer period. Training, personal reflections, and moments of frustration sit on equal footing, giving the documentary a sense of balance that feels sincere rather than crafted for inspiration.

What immediately stands out is how the film handles Nyousha’s relationship with her own mental health. Her ADHD and anxiety aren’t presented as obstacles to overcome in the expected ways. They’re part of her process, shaping how she trains, thinks, and responds to pressure. The film avoids simplifying that experience, allowing it to exist without turning it into a defining limitation or a convenient source of motivation.

That same level of care extends to the way the film explores her connection with her mother, Elehah. Their relationship adds another complexity to the story, shifting it beyond a straightforward athletic profile. Elehah’s past, including her imprisonment in Iran for political activism, gives context to Nyousha’s journey without turning it into a secondary storyline that distracts from the present. Instead, it deepens the emotional stakes, showing how personal history shapes the meaning behind Nyousha’s ambitions. That’s a lot to tackle in a 38-minute short, but it does so beautifully!

As Nyousha moves through the qualifying process, the film keeps its focus on how each step carries both personal and cultural significance. Competing in a sport that would be inaccessible to her in her country adds a quiet tension to the narrative. It’s not treated as a dramatic reveal or a repeated talking point. It exists as an underlying reality that informs everything she does, which makes the stakes feel more grounded and less performative. She competes for Canada, where she lives now, and while she’s proud of that designation, there's no doubt a clear hope and wish that she could be competing for Iran, her home, but she understands that reality isn’t something that can happen.

Rather than building toward a single defining moment, the documentary presents the journey as a series of ongoing challenges that don’t always resolve themselves. That approach works in the film’s favor, especially given its runtime, because it avoids forcing a conclusion that would feel out of place. The film assumes a certain level of familiarity or asks the audience to fill in those gaps on their own. For viewers already invested in boxing or Olympic competition, that won’t be an issue. For others, it may create a slight distance from the full scope of what Nyousha is working toward.

The film remains so effective because it never loses sight of its central vision. Nyousha isn’t framed as a symbol or reduced to a narrative of overcoming adversity. She is presented as an athlete navigating a demanding path while bearing the weight of her own expectations, her family’s history, and the broader implications of her success. It's a story of a woman overcoming the odds, while making sure the world knows her goals are universal.

The filmmaking itself stays unobtrusive, which suits the story. There’s no attempt to heighten the story through heavy stylistic choices or forced emotional cues. The camera observes rather than directs, allowing moments to play out without interruption. That restraint helps maintain a feeling of compassion on a personal level, even when the subject matter naturally carries emotional weight.

What sits with you most is the film’s understanding of what “winning” actually means in this context. The idea isn’t limited to medals or rankings, even though those elements are part of the journey. It expands to include personal growth, resilience, and the ability to define success on individual terms. That perspective feels merited because the film doesn’t rush to state it outright. It emerges through the accumulation of experiences Nyousha encounters throughout the documentary.

CONSTANT BATTLES doesn’t position itself as the sports documentary that you’ve seen time and time again, and it’s stronger because of that choice. It focuses less on outcome and more on process, less on pageantry and more on reality. In doing so, it captures something closer to the truth about what it takes to pursue a goal that extends beyond the individual.

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[photo courtesy of CONSTANT BATTLES FILMS]

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