Gaea Girls

Name: Gaea Girls
Genre: Documentary
Released: 16 Aug 2000
Rating: 6.10
Cast: Chigusa Nagayo, Meiko Satomura, Yuka Sugiyama, Saika Takeuchi, Hisako Sasaki

This fascinating documentary is based around the Japanese wrestling organisation Gaea's rural training camp, and traces, in the main, the careers of four hopefuls. In charge are two magnificent specimens, the butch champion Chigusa Nagaya, still venting her hurt at the hands of her army father as she tries to whip her surrogate daughters through the pain and commitment barriers; and her sophisticated and slightly menacing Chairman. It's a gruelling, physical film, as you would expect, but the makers don't make heavy weather of it. And it certainly disposes of any idea that the game is faked.

Year: 2000

Genre: Documentary

Studio: BBC

Director: Jano Williams, Kim Longinotto

Cast: Chigusa Nagayo, Meiko Satomura, Yuka Sugiyama, Saika Takeuchi, Hisako Sasaki, Tomoko Kitamura

Crew: Jano Williams (Director), Kim Longinotto (Director), Kim Longinotto (Writer)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Release: Aug 16, 2000

IMDb: 6.10/10 by 10 users

Popularity: 2

Country: United Kingdom, Japan

Language: 日本語

Budget: 0

Revenue: 0

Keyword : woman director

Comment

dancingdrunkintothefuture 2019, Dec 24

raw depiction of shifting cultural ideology in Japan. fascinating divulsion into the brutal world of female wrestling which i had no idea existed in Japan. Logninotto offers a stripped back view, never appearing in front of the camera nor providing voiceover - an immersive experience, placing us in the eyes and headspace of Longinotto as she wields the camera. following the journey of a newcomer, we root for the underdog. experiencing both top tier wrestling and training, we question the morality of wrestling in the 2000s which was more of an MMA crossover. not one to miss.