Fight to Live
Fight to Live
Fight to Live: Receiving a punch in the face really, really hurts. The capacity to endure hit after hit, head-shot after head-shot shows more than just an unusually high pain threshold; it indicates an almost unnatural resilience. Most people will do anything to avoid being punched in the face, so those who willingly put themselves through that kind of punishment are immediately fascinating in both their motivations and experiences. One such person is Australian female fighter “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings, a self-proclaimed “baddass” (in this case, an incredibly accurate epithet) and top-tier champion of Bare-Knuckle boxing – yes, no gloves. If you thought MMA was tough, you were wrong. When there are no gloves involved, blood really does fly; eyes swell shut while cheeks split open and lips get torn off.
Fight to Live is a fast-paced, gripping and hugely energetic documentary by first-time director Tom Haramis which instantly flips any expectations or biases one might have about a woman competing in such a brutal sport on their head. The subject of the doco is the warm, attractive, articulate and deeply passionate “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings – a woman who spends her days lovingly raising two young boys with her partner while simultaneously training hard and taking – not to mention giving – hits for a living. Rawlings is not what most would imagine when they think of a female bare-knuckle boxing champion; though wild as hell as a teenager (interviews with Rawlings’ down-to-earth and often exasperated mother and police officer sister provide some much-needed comic relief), she’s actually quite sensitive and self-aware – not to mention honest as all hell.
But Fight to Live becomes something much larger than just your average sports profile once Rawlings delves into deep dark detail about her previous abusive relationship with another fighter. This part of the film is hard to sit through; but it’s also so very important, and her bravery in speaking out about it cannot be overstated. It’s safe to say that this aspect of Fight to Live is hard-hitting documentary filmmaking at its finest.
Hard-hitting in every sense of the term – both emotionally and physically – Fight to Live also offers up a number of highly personal portraits alongside some very impressive camerawork, which together provoke thought while confounding expectations at every corner…in other words, it’s a hard-hitting doc with a heart of gold that will keep you on your toes throughout.
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