‘Christy’ Star Sydney Sweeney, Producer Kerry Kohansky-Roberts Hope Film Leads To Important Conversations About Domestic Violence – Contenders Los Angeles
Christy tells the story of how Christy Martin paved the way for female boxing. It also depicts her abusive marriage to manager Jim Martin. Christy Martin, now going by Salters, was involved with the film, but the filmmakers understood they were dealing with her true trauma.
Sydney Sweeney plays Christy and produced the Black Bear film with Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, and both were sensitive to exposing her to their re-creations. They scheduled the most graphic attack Jim (Ben Foster) commits against Christy before Salters arrived on set.
“We wanted to protect her from that,” Sweeney said on the stage of Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles. “That following Monday, Christy came for the first day. When she walked in, the entire crew just stood up and started applauding her because they’d seen firsthand what she went through. Seeing her stand there in front of all of them, I think the importance of the story we’re telling really hit everyone.”
Depicting the domestic violence storyline for audiences has been as important to Sweeney as the boxing story.
“She’s an incredible role model so being able to bring her story to a wider audience and hopefully save lives through that has been the greatest gift that I could’ve ever been given,” Sweeney said.
Kohansky-Roberts said she hopes watching Christy leads to important conversations.
“As producers, we want to tell stories of extraordinary people,” Kohansky-Roberts said. “To come out of it, to be able to tell stories that are impactful as Sydney just said, but to make a difference, to hopefully be an avenue for people to talk about it and feel open about their own situations and people they know.”
RELATED: ‘Christy’s Sydney Sweeney Reveals How It Felt To Transform Physically To Play Boxer Christy Martin: “I Absolutely Loved It” – Toronto Studio
Sweeney said at every Q&A she’s done, somebody in the audience has come up to her or Salters to share their own story of abuse. She recalled Salters saying she hopes Christy becomes a movie fathers show their daughters to warn them about abusive men. Kohansky-Roberts agreed.
“These are things and signs you have to look out for as you enter relationships,” Kohansky-Roberts said. “It can be for daughters and sons. To know how the manipulation starts. It’s such a gray area. It’s very important we talk about it. Christy is alive today and she’s incredible and she’s just as strong on the inside. We’re just here to celebrate her.”
Sweeney did put on 35 pounds of muscle and learned the choreography of Martin’s actual fights. She also insisted on making contact with her co-stars.
“Christy comes to life in the ring,” Sweeney said. “There’s so much growth and so much personality and so much happening when she’s in this ring. She feels free so she can let it all out. I wanted to make sure we could see that on camera. You can’t be on the back of my head. You can’t be cutting it all choppy so you can fake the punches.”
Kohansky-Roberts assured viewers that they still monitored the fights on set for safety.
“We were very careful,” Kohansky-Roberts said. “Medics on set and everyone was okay.”
Still, Sweeney, who wrapped Season 3 of Euphoria last week, earned Salters’ approval.
“Christy wants to sign me to fight so if I disappear for a year, guys, you know where I’m going to be,” she quipped.
Check back Monday for the panel video.
