Bastards

Director: Marco Eisenbarth, Copyright: 4ReelDocs, Germany, 4K, 2 seasons 12x-30′, 2018-2021 Rights: World except Germany

The ‘Pretty Bastards’ dream of making a living as professional wrestlers. But the struggle is real in a business that is deemed to be fake.

BASTARDS season 1 is a wrestling documentary series that follows the German-Iranian wrestling tag team ‘Pretty Bastards’ as they make their way through the independent wrestling circuit. Maggot and Prince Ahura. Two characters that couldn’t be any more different and still have much more in common than wrestling. The Bastards and many of their companions give you a tour through the unique world of wrestling. Their minds are always set on the dream of one day being able to make a living off of wrestling, they keep fighting obstacles, injuries and sometimes themselves. Through ups and downs, success and failure, the ‘Pretty Bastards’ are not only building a wrestling tag team but a real brotherhood. Meet the Bastard Sons of Wrestling!

BASTARDS season 2: BAD COMPANY

The two athletes from Frankfurt, Germany stand out by their authentic attitude in and outside of the ring,  we get to know the protagonists in their private lives, to explain the brotherly friendship of the two men and discover what makes them put all their hearts and souls into this sport while simultaneously dealing with studies and jobs. Always driven by the dream to one day make a living off of wrestling.

In season 2 they are accompanied by new protagonists. Their longtime friend and coach “Aaron Insane”, has been their mentor for many years. The young female wrestler “Baby Allison” is one of the rising stars in German women’s wrestling and together with other female wrestlers she proves that they can keep up with their male colleagues and that they earned the respect of both fans and wrestlers.

But it’s not all fun and games in wrestling. This sport that is often deemed as “fake”‚ proves to be in fact very very real when it comes to the mental and physical strain that is put upon the athletes and the life of a professional wrestler is not an easy one.

From rising stars like Pretty Bastards & Co. to former wrestling superstars, who have seen good and bad times in wrestling, BASTARDS. tells the stories of the human beings behind the in-ring characters and grants the viewer a glimpse behind the curtain of this enigma that is the wrestling world.

Director’s note:

BASTARDS” isn’t your classic sports documentary. It’s not exclusively designed for wrestling fans but for those who have no connection to wrestling, who are sceptical of wrestling. It’s a story of chasing an impossible dream against all odds. And still the viewer gets a peek behind the curtain of this enigma that is the world of wrestling.

 

Awards:

Winner:
Best Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Seoul Webfest 2019
Best Creator/Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Asia Web Awards 2019
Nominations:
Best Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Apulia Web Fest 2020
Best Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Die Seriale 2019
Best Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Bilbao Seriesland 2019
Best Documentary for “BASTARDS.” – Rio Webfest 2019
Best Cinematography for “BASTARDS.” – Melbourne Webfest 2019
Best Cinematography for “BASTARDS.” – Rio Webfest 2019
Best Directing for “BASTARDS.” – Rio Webfest 2019