Sensei Fran Kicks Ass
This Sporting Life
•
19m
Directed by Simone Fary • Documentary • With Fran Vall • 2019 • 19 minutes
Octogenarian Fran Vall holds a 6th degree black belt in Judo and a 5th one in Naginata (Japanese sword fighting). In addition to mentoring at three martial arts clubs she still finds time to work as a ski and snowboard instructor and volunteer in her community. Guided by her Jewish faith and quest to never stop learning, Sensei Fran became proficient in all of these arts during her years in the Foreign Service, living in places such as Japan, Afghanistan and the Sudan. Fran’s story will be the first in a series exploring and celebrating healthy aging.
Up Next in This Sporting Life
-
Looking For Sunshine: The Life of an ...
Directed by Niccolo Castelli • Documentary • 2019 • 94 minutes
A year in Lara Gut’s universe, from the victory of the Alpine Ski World Cup Overall title in 2016 to the comeback after an injury at the peak of her career.
A documentary about a young woman and a champion trying to find her way a... -
Adonis
Directed by Jérémie Battaglia • Documentary • 2024 • 52 minutes
Though it was once limited to elite athletes, the use of anabolic steroids has reached endemic proportions among young male bodybuilding and strength training enthusiasts. Daring to tackle the taboos surrounding the concept of male ...
-
Las Leonas
Directed by Isabel Achaval, Chiara Bondi • Documentary • 2022 • 83 minutes
On the outskirts of Rome, six teams compete in the women’s soccer championship, the Las Leonas Trophy. All recent immigrants to Italy—the majority from South America—the participants work busy lives as caregivers and hous...
