GAEA GIRLS
Großbritannien 2000 – Director: Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams – Original language: Japanese – Subtitles: English – Length: 106 min.
"We are free! We are crazy! We are Gaea girls!" Professional female wrestling is a very popular sport in Japan as well as being one of the most bizarre and violent manifestations of Japanese culture. "I don't stand out in a crowd. In the ring, I can become someone who is noticed", claims Tekeuchi Saika. For more than a year now she's been living in the Gaea Japan training camp for female wrestlers. Not only must she endure the physically gruelling and mentally exhausting training set by the extremely strict yet charismatic Nagayo Chigusa but she is also subjected to ritual humiliation. Tears, bruises and insults are all part of the daily routines of all Gaea girls.
This is a compelling and enthralling insight into a closed universe. The idea of this highly unusual sport for women seems all the more unexpected as it happens in a culture where women are generally seen as submissive. "In-house" is the Japanese word for wife, however the women in this film are just as violent as any male wrestler and the blood that's drawn on the mat is very real indeed. The stakes are high: the Gaea girls are fighting for their own identity, social recognition and self-affirmation.
Awards: Special Jury Mention, AFI Fest (The American Film Institute International Film Festival), Los Angeles 2000; Silver Hugo, Chicago Int. Film Festival, 2000
Supporter of BEST.DOKS 20/20
Writer: Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams. Camera: Kim Longinotto. Sound: Mary Milton. Editing: Brian Tagg. Music: Gaea Japan. Production: Vixen Films. Producer: Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams. International Sales: Women Make Movies, Inc. / Vixen Films.
