Documentary Provides Unprecedented Coverage of American Wrestling Team in Iran

After a long history of absence by American sports teams in Iran, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, a top US international wrestling team, was invited to participate in the country’s first World Clubs Cup wrestling tournament in November 2014.  Led by Team Leader Wayne Boyd and Head Coach Royce Alger, both wrestling experts on the mat and colorful characters off, the Titan Mercury team traveled to the competition in Jouybar, Iran, a tiny town in the northern province of Mazandaran.  Jouybar is widely recognized as Iran’s capital of wrestling.

“It was an experience that this team will never forget. We prepared hard for this opportunity and we came to win,” said Alger.

Despite previous limited access to media, filmmaker Braden Barty, was able to get unprecedented access to the action.  “I just knew it was a story that had to be told,” said Barty, a veteran documentarian.  “I just didn’t know how to do it without the right credentials ...Wrestling is so exciting in Iran.  It’s an excitement that words can’t express, which is why we needed to show the western world how entertaining this sport really can be.”

Koshti (the Persian word for wrestling) is a documentary short film that provides front row access to Titan Mercury’s two-day tournament from their perspective while competing in an historic event in Iran.  The team made history in more ways than one.

They were the first American sports team to enter this province of Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution.  The revolution drove out the Shah of Iran, King Pahlavi, and installed a theocracy into the Persian country lead by the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Without explicit permission to do any documentary filming in the country, Barty entered the country as a member of the wrestling team.  “I had to keep a low profile, filming a lot with my GoPro and iPhone, and then when I felt comfortable, I used my larger professional camera,” said Barty.  “The Iranian authorities were very congenial and actually helpful. We couldn’t go anywhere without a translator and a government escort.”

In the film, Titan Mercury drives through the beautiful Iranian landscape before arriving at their destination, Naftchal, a secluded camp for visitors to the area, which is surrounded by a wall to keep visitors in and citizens out.  The state run media got the first American interview. Asked by a reporter, “What do you think the final results will be of this tournament?” Boyd responded confidently, “We will win the championship”.

The documentary highlights a unique sporting experience. Women are not permitted inside sporting events since clerics deem sports, especially wrestling, as inappropriate for women. Iranian wrestling fans are very passionate about the sport, which creates an undercurrent of energy in Koshti.  Drums, horns, and the chanting of the fans are the soundtrack.

Even though this was a club tournament, national pride was a big theme for this tournament.  A total of 11 countries participated in the tournament including China, Cuba, Mongolia, Brazil and Syria. Four of the 15 clubs were represented Iran, giving Iran a slight advantage on the international level.  

Of the 15 clubs participating, the final match of the tournament pitted the American Titan Mercury club against the Iranian club, Bimeh-Razi.  The documentary is a super-charged history changing experience worth watching, especially since it is estimated that the majority of Iran’s 77 million population watched the match live on TV.

Koshti, Americans Wrestling in Iran, is available now on iTunes and Amazon Prime for both rent and download. 45 minutes in length, it covers the entire tournament from the perspective of the American team. For more information, go to tmwc1.com and like us at https://www.facebook.com/koshti2016

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkvDg0cvi3A