On the verge of becoming the world featherweight boxing champion in 1962, Olli Mäki runs into a problem: his focus on losing weight and preparing for his title match are at risk because of his emotions. Why? He has suddenly fallen in love. A twentysomething boxer as the protagonist, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki distinguishes itself from existing boxing films through its storytelling and aesthetics. Rather than focusing on the action and the veracity of the match itself, it targets the psychology and actions of a hero lost between his obligations to win and personal desires, making the love story in this filmjust as important as the sports. The lyrical and subjective shots of the man and woman in love are especially inviting. Another aesthetic choice to move away from the obvious spectacle of a sports film was using 16mm black and white film to stay true to the reporting method of the 1960s. The title of the film comes from the coach’s words to Olli, reminding him that winning the championship will bring him the happiest day in his life, but a greater meaning will be made evident by the end of the film. This feature debut that reminds us once again that love is the strongest of all won the Prize Un Certain Regard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.(RHEE Souewon)