Worth: $17.00
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Cast:
“Rowdy” Bec Rawlings
Intro:
...fast-paced, utterly gripping and highly energetic...
Getting hit in the face hurts…a lot. The ability of anyone to absorb blow after blow, head-shot after head-shot, speaks of not just an extraordinary threshold for pain, but also a near bizarre form of resilience. Most people will do anything to avoid being hit in the face, so those that actively seek out such punishment become instantly fascinating in their motivations and experiences. One such figure is Australian female athlete “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings, a self-proclaimed “baddass” (in this case, a very apt description) and top-tier champ in the mind-blowingly violent sport of Bare-Knuckle boxing…that’s right, no gloves. If you thought MMA was as tough as it gets, think again. When the gloves are off, the blood really flies, with battered eyes closed over, cheeks busted, and lips torn to shreds.
With his fast-paced, utterly gripping and highly energetic documentary Fight to Live, first-time director Tom Haramis instantly flips any expectations or biases one might have about a woman who would compete in such a brutal sport. The doco’s subject, “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings, is a warm, attractive, articulate and very passionate woman lovingly parenting two young boys while training hard and taking – and giving – hits for a living. Whatever you thought a female bare-knuckle boxing champ would be, Rawlings is not it. Though a wild child as a teenager (interviews with Rawlings’ amusingly down-to-earth and frequently confounded mother and cop sister are a highlight), Bec Rawlings is a sensitive, self-aware and very honest figure, and makes for a great doco subject.
Fight to Live becomes much more than just a sports profile, however, when Rawlings goes into deep, dark detail about her previous abusive relationship with a fellow fighter. Rawlings’ account of this ugly relationship is tough to process, and her bravery in talking about it is admirable on every level. To say that it adds to the importance of Fight to Live would be an understatement of major proportions.
Moving in its personal portraiture, and impressively dynamic in its filmmaking, Fight to Live provokes deep thought and reflection in the audience while confounding expectations at every turn…it’s a hard-hitting documentary with a heart of gold that will keep you constantly and entertainingly on your toes.
Fight to Live also screens at the Setting Sun Film Festival at the Greek Centre in Melbourne on Friday, May 10. Click here for more information.
