Private Project

Never Be A Punching Bag For Nobody

An affecting portrait of an East Boston boxing gym and the forgotten history of its surrounding neighborhood, alongside an exploration of indie rock musician Naomi Yang’s own fraught family history.

  • Naomi Yang
    Director
  • Ian Coss
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 4 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital SLR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Naomi Yang

Naomi Yang is a director, photographer, and graphic designer. She is also a musician, formerly of Galaxie 500, currently of Damon & Naomi.
She has directed music videos for artists including Sharon Van Etten, Steve Gunn, Lee Ranaldo, Waxahachie, Mary Lattimore, and Julie Holter, and for independent record labels such as Merge, Drag City, Matador, Mute, and Rough Trade. Her abiding interest in fashion and design has led her to direct a series of videos for noted New York womenswear designer Gary Graham, as well as Los Angeles menswear label and retailer Virgil Normal.
Naomi was a member of the critically lauded 80s indie band Galaxie 500. The band’s recordings have continued to grow in influence since their original release. Her musical career continues to the present day as she records, performs and tours worldwide as a member of Damon & Naomi.
She is a graphic designer of books, music and other media including the publications of her (co-owned) small press Exact Change, and all Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi records.
She was born in New York City and lives in Cambridge, MA.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“There is a boxing gym near Logan Airport in Boston. I hoped to use it for a fashion video, but the owner, Sal, said no. So I took up boxing at the gym to prove I was serious. I convinced Sal, I also discovered that boxing unearthed issues from my past—and the neighborhood’s past—in unexpected ways.”