Doglegs

Shintaro is a Tokyo janitor who moonlights as a pro wrestler in an underground league called Doglegs. He’s had 20 glorious years in the ring but now he’s getting old and wants to pursue his regular-Joe dream: success at work, and hopefully, settling down with his secret dream-girl, but Kitajima, the group’s volunteer organizer, has other plans. Shintaro’s oldest rival, ‘Antithesis’ Kitajima, is billed as “the man who has beaten up the disabled for twenty years”. He believes that sparing the kid gloves is a sign of respect. Shintaro challenges Kitajima for one last fight. Kitajima accepts, on one condition: that the winner, and only the winner, can retire – no easy feat considering how far back Shintaro’s losing streak against Kitajima stretches. Meanwhile, another Doglegs regular is facing his own challenge. L’Amant (‘the Lover’) has severe cerebral palsy and near-total paralysis. He spends his days self-medicating with alcohol despite the protestations of his able-bodied wife and son. But in Doglegs, he’s a showy, cross-dressing legend. He lives for Doglegs – and wants to die fighting, but right now, the bottle has the upper hand. And then there’s the man pouring his drinks: his carer, Yuki Nakajima. Nakajima looks normal, but the scars on his body hint at self-mutilation. He is clinically depressed. He, too, gets in the ring – to get recognition for his invisible condition. Nakajima wants to win over his skeptical peers… but clinical depression and wrestling can be a volatile mix. Doglegs is an emotional and thrilling experience that poses deeper questions about autonomy and our place in the world. As the climatic match between Shintaro and his mentor draws nearer, Doglegs challenges the audience to ask: what is disability…and who gets to decide?