2008 American film
Renzo Gracie: Legacy is a 2008 documentary film about Renzo Gracie, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, directed by Gethin Aldous and written by Aldous, Steve Allen and Adrian Miller.[1][2][3] Shot over a ten-year period, it shows the origins of the sport of mixed martial arts from its bare knuckle days to the explosion of the sport in Japan and America.[1][2][3]
Background
Renzo Gracie is from the third generation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu's Gracie family.[3] In 1993, his uncle Rorion Gracie joined forces with Art Davie and Bob Meyrowitz to create a martial arts promotion to endorse his family's fighting style - the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[3] The sport is now considered one of the fastest growing in the world.[4]
Production
The film was shot, edited, produced, and directed by Gethin Aldous.[3] He followed Gracie over a 7-year period and another student of Gracie's, Alex Shum, followed him for 4 years before that.[3] The film was self-distributed.
Release
It premiered October 25, 2008 at the United States Sports Film Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,[1][2][3][5] and was released on DVD on November 14, 2008, through its own website and Amazon.com.[2]
Reception
Paul Larkin of MMAjunkie wrote, "Gethin Aldous did a fantastic job with Legacy. He does not bore you to death with narration or beat you over the head with information.", and of the film, "...will no doubt be considered a masterpiece in the world of documentaries".[1] Elias Cepeda of Inside Fighting wrote, "Gethin Aldous’ new documentary film Renzo Gracie: Legacy should be considered an instant classic simply on the basis of its scope and breadth", and the film "...accomplishes the rare feat of being able to both satisfy the most ardent and informed sports fan’s desire for fresh, new perspective and knowledge and serve as an understandable primer for the uninitiated."[2]
