The Making Of
How two filmmakers scraped together $10,000, crossed continents, and risked everything to tell a story no one else dared to film.
It Started with $10,000 in Tips
Greenhalgh scraped together bartending savings to fund the film, determined to tell Kerr’s story against all odds.
Filmmaking on a Shoestring
Traveling economy, filming in gyms, locker rooms, hotel rooms, and hospitals — they captured everything with almost no resources.
Unflinching Access
Kerr let the cameras capture addiction, vulnerability, and emotional collapse. These intimate, human moments made the film unforgettable.
“This is a film born of grit, necessity, and unflinching honesty — a time capsule of a sport in its raw infancy.”
From Tribeca to HBO
After years of relentless work, The Smashing Machine premiered at Tribeca in 2003, then was acquired by HBO. What began as a guerilla film became a cult classic and landmark in sports documentaries.
“This is a film born of grit, necessity, and unflinching honesty — a time capsule of a sport in its raw infancy.”
