Watch Frederick Wiseman’s Documentary Boxing Gym Tonight on PBS

Acclaimed filmmaker Frederick Wiseman explores the dichotomous role of the boxing gym in modern cities — a place of violence, but also discipline; the site of fights, but also of community. Boxing Gym premieres Thursday, June 16, on PBS (check local listings).

Boxing is a sport of contradictions. It can be bloody, hurtful, and cruel, but at the same time it requires dedication, discipline, focus, a grueling work ethic, sacrifice, conditioning, and ferocious demands on the body and mind. Frederick Wiseman's latest documentary Boxing Gym centers on Lord’s Gym in Austin, Texas, which was founded by former pro boxer Richard Lord. This gym — as well as others like it across the country — is a community institution: For many, it’s a place to train for the professional ring. For many others, it is also a home, a refuge, a safe place to escape to from the turbulence of the streets, a place where parents bring troubled children.

It is also a prime example of the American “melting pot” where men and women of various races, classes, and ethnic backgrounds meet, talk, and train, and — in some cases — dream together of success, riches, and fame. Boxing Gym premieres Thursday June 16 on PBS (check local listings).  Watch a trailer for the film >>

Watch the full episode. See more Boxing Gym.