Strangers pair up to fight on camera. Consensual violence is, bizarrely, quite intimate.

There was only one hospital visit while making this film.

Creative team

Director: Solmund MacPherson
Producer: Allegra Chiarella

Filmmaker’s statement

Pairing strangers up to fight on camera started as a joke, but I’m glad we followed through. My initial casting call garnered almost 100 responses which slowly dwindled down as people realized I was serious.

If you’ve never been in a fight, or if you object to violence altogether, I hope you reconsider after seeing how tender consensual violence can be.

If you’re curious to see before and after photos of the fighters, take a look here: solmund.com/shiners.

About Solmund MacPherson

Solmund grew up in the theatre, came to adolescence as a travelling circus merchant and spent their formative years fervently clutching a camera. Nowadays they have one foot in filmmaking, the other in visual art and both in the grave.

Their work has been recognized with screenings and awards across North America, Italy and Australia.