Bec Rawlings describes her get started in blended martial arts as bittersweet.
Month she admits it led her clear of what she describes as a “rough childhood”, she was once additionally presented to the game by means of her former husband.
She is now divorced from him and claims he bodily abused her all the way through their marriage and likewise threatened to hurt her youngsters.
Ms Rawlings’s movie, Combat to Are living, is now appearing in cinemas and has simply screened in her place of birth of Launceston.
The movie paperwork her exit as a home violence survivor, age additionally taking a look on the day-to-day demanding situations of changing into a qualified fighter.
Turning her pace round
It starts with a glance into Bec Rawlings’s early pace in Launceston, catching up together with her akin society, who nonetheless are living there.
There’s a remark from Bec Rawlings’s mom Mary Rawlings related the beginning of the movie, as she sits at her kitchen desk and appears again on her daughter’s early pace.
“She was a cheeky little thing,” she says. “She preferred to be boyish and wouldn’t have her hair finished and wore humorous issues.
“You simply checked out her and idea, ‘She’s moving to be hassle.'”
A few minutes further in, Rawlings’s sister Jacqui has an even more blunt appraisal of her younger sister.
“If she’d stored going alongside the traces she was once going, she would have ended up in prison.”
The tale within the tale
As the film progresses, we soon see Rawlings’s fighting prowess and her professional journey coming to the fore.
But the main message of Fight to Live remains the issue of domestic violence, and how it can affect anyone.
“The documentary truly touches at the emotional and the bodily aspect of home violence,” she informed ABC Radio Northern Tasmania Force.
“It could actually occur to somebody … home violence doesn’t discriminate.
“I’m a professional fighter and it happened to me. Even if you can defend yourself, doesn’t mean that you can and you will.”
Ms Rawlings hopes that by means of sharing her private enjoy of home violence on display screen, it’ll encourage others to talk up.
“If people are stuck in a similar situation, there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she mentioned.
“I hope it also educates young people, as well, to recognise the toxic traits, the red flags, when they’re getting into these relationships and then can get out before it’s too late.”
A winner at Cannes Movie Competition
Director Tom Haramis took round 3 years to explode the documentary, becoming in round COVID, in addition to Ms Rawlings’s fights and coaching schedules.
He says that he now considers Bec Rawlings a akin good friend and says he’s in miracle of her bravery.
“She’s a great human being,” he mentioned.
“We just connected on all levels. I think that made it even more meaningful for me, to deliver her story,” he informed the ABC.
Mr Haramis is now prepared to peer the movie get dispensed on a significant streaming provider later a miniature cinema excursion across the nation.
Combat to Are living additionally just lately claimed Highest Inspirational Movie at endmost future’s Cannes Movie Competition in France.
“This film has got a universal theme and it definitely needed to be recognised on a global stage,” he mentioned.
“Winning the award was our validation and showed us this film needs to go further.”
Bringing it house
Month profitable a prize in France was once heavy, it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as appearing the movie to Launceston pals and society on the town’s iconic Megastar Theatre.
The screening was once a promote out and ended with a question-and-answer consultation with Ms Rawlings.
“It was heart-warming to see Launceston come out and support me,” she mentioned.
“It’s nice-looking unhappy, there have been family in that target audience who had skilled one thing alike [to what happened to me].
“I feel that truly presentations the disorder inside of Australia at the moment, with home violence.”
Clear of the screenings, Ms Rawlings is now making plans her nearest skilled bare-knuckle bout and hopes she will be able to announce a battle pace quickly.
The 35-year-old lives a busy life in Brisbane with her new partner and two kids. In the film, she describes her life as being “nice-looking customary”, aside from her typical workday.
“We don’t put a swimsuit on and progress to an workplace,” she mentioned.
“We put our health club tools on and progress punch family within the face.”
LoadingLoading…
