Styled ‘Stylebender’, this is a film by a New Zealand director, Zoe McIntosh, which came out in the year 2023. It is a remarkable and interesting film which shows the captivating career of Israel Adesanya, a Nigerian-born, now New Zealand-based mixed martial artist. Kiss into the octagon as the film goes deep into Israel’s views on masculinity, bullying, mental health, and dancing as a healing mechanism.
Synopsis:
What this documentary tries to look at is the life style of Adesanya from an immigrant in Nigeria to becoming a legendary fighter. This film is especially moving in its portrayal of the fights and problems this man had in his life, which underscores the drama of his personality and everything that goes into building his career.
Production:
It is Presented by FluroBlack and cited by a number of cinematographers including Jacob Bryant, Ian McCarroll, Gareth Moon, Jeff Sainlar, and finally Tammy Williams, Stylebender was filmed, written and directed by Zoe McIntosh. Different clips of Adesanya and his daily life and his practices were recorded over a period of 5 years starting from the year 2019.
Release:
This known film won best documentary when it first made an official appearance in the Tribeca Festival on June 11th, 2023 which set the norm for future showings in film festivals. In the month of September that same year, the film was presenting in Zurich in some film festival and going forward to New Zealand, it was showing in cinemas from 28 September 2023.
Critical Reception:
Everybody in the professional community has a positive perspective on the documentary Stylebender, that is drafted to spite any normal human and feel empathy for the personal side of the multiple world champion – Israel Adesanya.
The movie has scored a 6.5 out of 10 on Imdb, which is a rather good reception from the audience.
How to Watch:
“Stylebender” was first released on the 1st of November 2024 and is now on Amazon Prime Video.
For the promotional look at the documentary, please see the official trailer down below:
If you are a fan of the Life stories of sportsmen, perhaps you would prefer:
- The Last Dance (2020): This is a film that follows Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the 1997-98 season.
- I Am Ali (2014): This one is about boxer Muhammad Ali as well as the public persona he possessed.