"I think everybody should be looking out to get a little bit of insight on the real man, Anderson Silva. As you know, he doesn't do real well on interviews and dealing with media. I think Anderson is a wonderful person who has been misjudged by his behaviors or choices. I think sometimes, just his choices. The film has the ability to enter into areas to where he as a human being can be vulnerable. A champ can be tired, a champ can be in a tough fight, and therefore you can't be quick to judge people. I think "Like Water" will be a great humanistic lesson for anybody to look at and to learn from," stated Pablo Croce, director of "Like Water", a documentary following UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as he prepared for his title defense against Chael Sonnen. Check it out!
PC: How is everything going Pablo?
PC: Thankfully very well, and we're very happy to be able to have Tribeca screen the movie. Hopefully we can share it with as many people as possible.
PC: Can you give our readers a little bit of background on yourself?
PC: I come from a family of film makers in Venezuela, but I was born in Washington DC. I am the grandson of diplomats. That's how I got from Venezuela to the United States. I started off doing music videos and commercials and that led me to developing longer formats, and in this case, it happens to be "Like Water."
PC: Did you take an interest in Anderson Silva the individual or was your interest originally in mixed martial arts and you grew fond of Anderson?
PC: I think the two are related, however, initially my interest was in Anderson himself. Through the character, I would say...I see him as a great character. That led me into responding and it created a lot of interest towards him as a character and that evolves into the great fighter that he is.
PC: It's getting close to premiering at the ESPN Tribeca Film Festival, so I'm sure you're getting pumped up. How big of a deal is it for you to have it at the film festival this year?
PC: Ah, it's a huge deal for us. It is a major deal for us. It is my first time being at this festival. When you're developing a documentary, such as this, and you're documenting step-by-step and day-by-day what happens in the life of a person, you don't really know if you're going to be able to put together a full story. It just so happened that this chronicles him while he was in preparation for Chael [Sonnen] and it turned out to be a great story. We are super excited that this was recognized and picked by Tribeca.
PC: You absolutely had great timing on the documentary because the fight you followed him for probably had the most drama of any of his fights. He dealt with a great deal of adversity to come back and submit Chael. What were your thoughts on the fight and Silva's performance?
PC: Wow, that is a great question. That same day was my birthday, so when he was going through the fight, I couldn't really figure him out frankly. He is so hard to figure out. It was tough for me as a filmmaker to figure him out and try to understand why he does certain things, and I guess that's the tough thing to figure out as a fighter also. It was hard to figure him out. I couldn't understand why it was so easy for him to go to the floor. I spent those 5 rounds also twirling inside. I entered his world and I entered his life and I wasn't a big fan of the sport myself. You feel you are involved with a person and I couldn't figure him out, but he always said that the fight would be funny. And all of the advice from the team was to stay up and fight where his biggest strength was, which was his Muay Thai, and I just couldn't understand why it was so easy to get him to the floor. However, I did know he had the injury to his wrist and his ribs, so that could have come into play. I thought maybe his core was weak and maybe that's why he was on the defensive mode on the floor most of the time, but I was thinking after awhile that he was not going to be able to come back.
PC: You spent a lot of time with Anderson to make this film. Aside from Silva the fighter, what did you learn about Anderson Silva the person?
PC: I think when you're true to your principals and true to your being and your bodies of life, it doesn't matter what the certain outcomes of life are; you will always be a champ. That comes out of him. His last couple of questions before the fight, he brought me to a complete conscious frame and he said it didn't matter if he wins or loses. The only thing that he prayed to God for was that he got out of the cage a complete man with no physical problems at all. He seems to be very clear about reality and what he has, he realizes can be taken away. He knows that certain things he possesses is momentary, like his belt, so he really put himself in a position to deal with whatever faith was.
PC: I love the title "Like Water" because watching Anderson fight is truly watching him get into a flow. What was the thought process behind the title?
PC: When you are around him, you feel you are flowing in water. You feel you are constantly in an environment that has harmony and just a flowing sensation. I think that "Like Water" is very assertive to his quality of life and his style of fighting, so for me, the title was perfect for all of his qualities and everything that happens around him.
PC: I have spoken to people who have been around Muhammad Ali extensively and Mike Tyson and I always ask them what was it like to follow greatness. What was it like for you?
PC: It's great! One of the things that is important to state is that I had no interest or attachment in terms of him as a fighter or in terms of a fanatic. So when I'm in front of this person in the beginning and he's acting the way he normally acts with his teammates and entourage, and me and the filming crew are total outsiders, I begin to identify his value of living, family, and the type of dedication he had throughout the training process. You get real excited because you recognize immediately that this is something great.
PC: What was his training camp like from your perspective? Was it what you had come to expect or more than you expected from a work ethic standpoint?
PC: It's really the most intense experience that I've seen anyone do physically. He put hours into his training and his team dedicated the same amount of time and it felt beyond whatever you can grasp out of any movies we know; movies related to the subject. They really dedicate themselves to prepare thoroughly.
PC: I wish you guys the best of luck with the film and at the film festival. Is there anything else you want to say before I let you go?
PC: I think everybody should be looking out to get a little bit of insight on the real man, Anderson Silva. As you know, he doesn't do real well on interviews and dealing with media. I think Anderson is a wonderful person who has been misjudged by his behaviors or choices. I think sometimes, just his choices. The film has the ability to enter into areas to where he as a human being can be vulnerable. A champ can be tired, a champ can be in a tough fight, and therefore you can't be quick to judge people. I think "Like Water" will be a great humanistic lesson for anybody to look at and to learn from, especially when you state clear values which are the most important thing for a man.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]