GAEA GIRLS Documentary Competition

“We are liberty! We are violent! We are freak-out! We are… GAEA GIRLS!” With the ring announcer’s bold declaration, directors Kim Longinotto and Jana Williams usher us into the incredible world of Japanese female wrestling.

At tough training camp Gaea Japan, we meet wrestler and trainer Nagoya Chigusa. Arrogant, charismatic and adored, she does her utmost to fashion the girls for success in her own image. At the emotional center is the story of Takeuchi Saika, who has come to Gaea Japan to stand out in a crowd. As fellow recruits drop out and even run away, Takeuchi perseveres with increasing desperation in her dream to pass the test required to make her ring debut.

By turns brutal and inspirational, this compulsively-watchable film is a challenge to anyone who thinks wrestling isn’t real, and a testament to the indomitable human spirit.