“You’re an elegant boxer.” A seven-time European champion and runner-up in the Super Welterweight World Championships, Saïd Skouma is as captivating as he is intriguing. This Saturday, October 14, the boxer will be making an appearance at the Haizebegi Festival, where he’ll be in the spotlight.
Saïd Skouma Tells the Story of Saïd Skouma
Through the sound of his voice alone, the boxer reveals himself. In this audio documentary by ethnologist and filmmaker Michel Tabet, the former athlete comes to life. With a deep sense of intimacy and a certain moving tenderness, he lets his voice be heard. The film is devoid of visuals—which the director considers intrusive—and he uses this restraint to heighten the impact of the spoken word.
Amid the crackling of amplifiers and the slamming of doors, Saïd Skouma recounts his life, paints a picture of his Morocco, describes his grandmother’s death, and shares his memories and struggles. One phrase keeps coming back, chanted over and over: “You will be the shepherd of your own freedom.” These words, like a gospel, guide his path—words once spoken by his coach.
Boxing is different there. Stripped of all violence, Saïd Skouma describes it as a dance set to jazz music. A reading of excerpts from his book, *Le Corps du Boxeur* (Pauvert, 2001), brings this documentary to a close. He transports the audience to the Morocco of his memories—a Morocco filled with sounds and scents, with poetic images, that even move one listener to tears.
Emotion and Transmission
Anticipation. That’s the feeling he’s been expressing since the start of the festival, and it’s evident in the ring. When, on stage at the opening ceremony of the10th edition of the Haizebegi Festival, director Denis Laborde interviewed Saïd Skouma, anticipation was already in the air. Eagerness for the festival to be in full swing, for him to present his new book.
It is this same emotion that he expresses when commenting on his achievements during the screening of his bout at the 1987 World Championships—a bout that his coach, throwing in the towel, would not let him finish. When the countdown began three hours before the championship, Saïd Skouma didn’t seem to be overcome by anxiety: “At that moment, I couldn’t wait for it to start!” he says.
A Look Back at a Champion's Defeat
In March 1987, Saïd Skouma and Buster Drayton battled it out for the world championship title. As a commentator, Saïd Skouma gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the fight. When Michel Tablet asks him about fame and his appearances on television, he gets straight to the point, cutting to the chase: “Everyone loves you, but everyone’s screwing you over!” As a top-level athlete, you have to be wary; you have to know who to trust. These are the lessons we learn from the seven-time European champion.
Unforgettable—this fight left a lasting impression not only on the audience, as Saïd Skouma’s physical therapist reveals. A surprise guest at the festival, she reflects on the words of boxer Buster Drayton, who stated the day after the fight that Saïd Skouma was the one who had left him with the most lasting physical effects. A champion who leaves his mark.
Yona Bernadas and Jérémy Casaux
