Making Kayfabe: The Private Lives of Indie Wrestlers (A Back Road Productions/CBC Gem Original)
Facing a mid-life crisis, a journalist discovers the regular folk moonlighting as indie wrestlers, who help him transform his childhood dream into reality as “Fake Nooz Neville.”
Stream it free on CBC Gem
Omar Mouallem takes viewers inside the unique world of indie pro wrestling and reveals the surprising identities of in-ring performers, while pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a pro wrestler. Along the way, the filmmaker finds community within the indie wrestling renaissance, and learns first-hand why so many Canadians from diverse backgrounds are expressing themselves in the squared circle. As he transforms from respected journalist to “Fake Nooz Neville” Mouallem navigates the blurred lines of “kayfabe” — the practice of maintaining the illusion that wrestling’s personas, rivalries, and outcomes are real — culminating in a gripping showdown that exposes the raw passion of ordinary Canadians moonlighting as wrestlers.
Duration: Production Year: Studio: Back Road Productions/CBC
Producers: Lizzie Derksen, Omar Mouallem
Executive Producers: Blake McWilliam, Dylan Rhys Howard, Sheila Peacock (CBC)