Tackling Life

The Berlin Bruisers are Germany’s first gay rugby team and, at least in terms of their game, the worst team around! But that is not a big problem, because for Adam, Nico, Su and the rest it is not just about winning, but also about the feeling of belonging. In this film, they talk about the different life choices that brought them to the team and about the battle against prejudice that they are fighting off the pitch. Tackling Life shows the Bruisers both at painful defeats competing in the east German regional league and a glorious victory in Madrid; at a fundraiser, a photo shoot dressed in drag, anti-bullying seminars and as they ecstatically celebrate their most successful season yet. A rousing portrait of a team sweating, celebrating, laughing and crying together, winning and losing, that is about the joy, after years of searching, of finally finding a community where you can be who you really want to be. (Berlinale)