Bittersweet Rules the First Time Fest
Bittersweet Marieke Niestadt’s debut documentary about Australian fighter Diana Prazik’s bout with the Swedish WBC titleholder Frida Wallberg, foreshadows early on that something bad’s gonna happen, then throws the action back to Prazik’s preparations with trainer Lucia Rijker. Rijker, a former fighter nicknamed Lady Mike Tyson, played Billie the Blue Bear and did bad things to Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby.
Macon Review: Bittersweet (****½)
"Director Marieke Niestadt uses a brilliant hook at the beginning of the film that hints at the result of the fight in the film’s final act. The sense of dread that looms throughout is nerve-wracking and indicative of what Diana must have been feeling. Diana’s vulnerabilities and her attempt to cover them up makes her all the more endearing. She doesn’t want to be seen as weak and her fear of losing eats away at her day after day."
IMDb Bittersweet
It's hard to avoid clichéd descriptions like "knockout," but director Marieke Niestadt's documentary delivered a punch when it screened at the 2014 Macon Film Festival.