Emil Mogensen and Hussein Ali Kazem‘s movie A Way Out is among the only 24 documentary film selected for OFF – Odense International Film Festival.
Elias from Vollsmose, Odense, Denmark has just started his professional boxing career with five fights and five wins, but behind the victories are consistent opt-outs. The boxing club is Elias’ point of reference and keeps him at a distance from a circle of friends in the criminal environment.
His trainer Shahbaz sees a potential in Elias that goes beyond victories in the ring. Shahbaz teaches Elias discipline, responsibility, and self-control, because not all fights can be fought in the ring.
When Shahbaz faced Elias with a choice, boxing became more than a sport – it became his way out.
The film follows Elias in the days leading up to his sixth professional boxing match.
A Way Out is among the 164 movies selected among 4.092 internationally submitted films for the official programme of the 2026 OFF – Odense International Film Festival 2026. The documentary is among the 24 films selected for the short documentary category and is in the competition for Best Danish Documentary Award and Best Documentary Award.
The documentary can be seen in Café Biografen, Odense till Sunday, August 30, 2026.
Emil and Hussein made A Way Out during their third term video documentary workshop with Heidi Skibsted in the fall 2025.
Intro music lent with permission from the artist:
Hennesey feat. Jooks – Take A Bite
Produced by Troo.L.S for 808 Playtime
(H. Namensen, J. Forsby, T. Nielsen)