Doglegs
A look inside a Japanese wrestling league where disabled fighters take on able-bodied opponents in brutal fights for their own self-respect
Fantastic Fest 2015 Winner for Best Director: Feature Documentaries
”By turns heart-wrenching and hilarious, Doglegs is a fascinating, once in a lifetime look into a world that you may not have known existed, but you’ll certainly never forget.” J Hurtado, Screen Anarchy
A fascinating examination of a unique subculture in Japan with care and context, DOGLEGS offers a look inside an underground pro-wrestling league where disabled wrestlers fight able-bodied opponents.
Doglegs league fighter “Sambo” Shintaro is looking to retire after twenty years of fighting. He dreams of settling down with a good job and a good woman after just one win against his longtime rival (and friend) “Antithesis” Kitajima. Unexpectedly, Kitajima issues an ultimatum upon the announcement of Shintaro’s challenge: the winner of that fight, and only the winner of that fight, will win his retirement. Shintaro has no choice but to agree to the challenge, and he begins training for the most important fight of his life.
Beyond the central rivalry between Shintaro and Kitajima, this doc features other fighters in the league – including man with severe depression, a crossdressing alcoholic, and his able-bodied wife – with care, context and humor, director Heath Cozens looks beyond just the jaw-droppingly shocking spectacle of these fighters in the ring and examines how those who have no choice but to be different survive in a society that so highly regards conformity.
Cast
Director
Language
Japanese
Subtitles
English
Country
Japan
Studio
Invincible Heart