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Documentary follows armwrestlers’ passion for their sport

May 12, 2017 | 4:01 PM

Film crews will be working at a very unique event in Red Deer this weekend.

Arm Nation, a 13-episode series tentatively set to air on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in late 2018, will be shooting at the Battlezone 10 Red Deer Rampage armwrestling competition Saturday.

The event takes place starting at noon inside the Microtel Inn and Suites on Leva Avenue in Gasoline Alley.

Maureen Marovitch, Co-Producer with Picture This Productions out of Montreal, explains the documentary is about armwrestling, but it’s also about First Nations people who are totally committed to and passionate about their sport.

“It’s a positive story, and there can be a lot of negative stories in the media about the many absolutely true issues that are going on in many communities, but this is a super positive story because it’s people who are competing all over the world, training hard, and often making a difference in their communities and beyond,” she says.

Marovitch says she had little knowledge of the sport before signing onto be a part of the doc’s crew.

“It’s quite an amazing community with people who are very supportive of each other beyond the table. When people get ill, they will go to great lengths to help each other out financially,” she says.

“It’s true grit, people who are determined to succeed in life. There are a lot of positive and inspiring, but dramatic stories. The matches themselves can be dramatic. Sometimes they’re over, like you’ve blinked and it’s gone, other times you’ve got these one minute long battles of the titans.”

For more information on Arm Nation, visit their Facebook page or their website.