Training as a weightlifter, girl gives herself a lift

Lift Like a Girl

Cast:asmaa Ramadan,

Captain Ramadan

Director: Mayye Zayed

Duration: 1 h 32 m

Available: Montreal and Edmonton theatres, and virtually through the Mayfair (Ottawa), Metro (Edmonton). It is also available July 20

Equal parts uplifting and frustrating, Lift Like a Girl is nevertheless a fine example of the girls-doingsurprising-things-in-faraway-places documentary sub-genre. You may remember the 2019 Oscar winner Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (If You’re a Girl), or 2016’s The Eagle Huntress, about a 13-year-old training to become the first female eagle trainer in her family’s history.

The setting this time is Alexandria, Egypt — specifically, a tiny, dusty vacant lot in the inner city, seemingly surrounded on all sides by noisy traffic, and visible through its chain-link fence to any curious (and occasionally insulting) passersby. It is here that “Captain Ramadan,” a former Olympic weightlifter, trains young girls in the sport.

They include his daughter Nahla and also up-andcomer Asmaa Ramadan, whom he nicknames Zebiba (Raisin) for her small size. Given their last names I thought she was also his daughter, but it turns out they’re unrelated, though the coach-athlete bond feels very parental.

Zebiba seems to be the main focus of the film, which follows her over the course of more than four years and many tournaments. But Captain Ramadan has a habit of drawing attention to himself, whether singing and clapping during tournaments (we see him gently escorted out of one for disruptive behaviour) or hurling some pretty foul-mouthed abuse at his charges when they don’t measure up. Between that and the constant discussions about eating and weight — weightlifters, like wrestlers and boxers, compete in classes determined by their body mass — well, I worried for the mental well-being of the athletes.

The doc is frustrating in that I wanted to hear more from the girls, and less from their noisy coach and promoter. But Zebiba is so quiet, even a direct question from one of her colleagues elicits little more than a shrug. Sometimes she’ll just give the camera a whatcan-you-do? look as Captain Ramadan rages on.

The multi-year nature of the film means there will be many changes and revelations throughout its 92 minutes, including one quietly introduced twist, late in the game, that will rock you on your heels. Lift Like a Girl is not a perfect movie, but it is always exciting to watch young athletes driven to excel, especially when their ramshackle gym is little more than a patch of dirt and some third-hand equipment. If anyone can lift themselves out of this kind of rough beginning, it’s these kids. ★★★