Ruud & Ria: Till Death Do Us Part
Muhammad Ali could not knock him out. Rudi Lubbers, one of the most successful boxers the Netherlands has produced, stayed on his feet for twelve rounds against the legend. But he really learned to stay standing during his twenty-year relationship with Ria, a funfair operator and ‘the love of his life’.
Early in the film Rudi invites the viewer to compare his shadow boxing with Ali’s unique style. Mostly, though, Rudi is trading words with Ria, his perpetually snapping wife. And then, instead of growing larger, Rudi gets smaller and smaller.
When he walks out after yet another row, leaving no trace, Ria is distraught and in the end cannot do without her champion. And Rudi, evidently, cannot do without Ria. In this revealing, hilarious and tragic documentary (2002), maker Roy Dames shows how thin the thread is between love and hate.
Director/Camera: Roy Dames · Editing: Jacco Groen · Production: Ellen van Slagmaat
