Here is my interview with Fencing for the Edge Director Holly Buechel:
Nigrin: Your feature length documentary film Fencing For The Edge focuses on a team of New Jersey high school girls who are trying to unseat its rival as State Champion in the sport of fencing. Tell us a bit about the history behind making this film.
Buechel: The process of making Fencing for the Edge was a labor of love rooted in my passion for both filmmaking and fencing. Today, kids will start fencing when they’re 8 years old or younger but I started as a freshman in high school. As a former NJ high school state champion fencer myself, I was drawn to telling an origin story that fencers from my era experienced. Finding teams to participate in this documentary was the hardest part in launching the idea. One of my first jobs after college was coaching the Columbia High School team in my hometown so I had an easier time connecting with that team. Finding the Bernards team was thanks to their coach, Vince Paragano, who was enthusiastic about the project from my initial email to all of the high school coaches in the state. I also had interest from Pingry and Teaneck so we filmed with them as well! At the end of the 2012-13 season, I captured some test footage with Bernards to start creating teasers for fundraising. It was clear that Bernards was going to be one of the strongest girls teams in the state for the 2013-14 season and I already had the defending state champions from Columbia on board so the rivalry story was set from day one of filming. I loved filming with all four of the teams and we didn’t know how the season was going to unfold until it was all over. We spent a lot of time editing and narrowing down the story to follow the girls teams from Bernards and Columbia.
Nigrin: I am a sucker for sports documentaries and movies, as I was a high school and college soccer player as well as on track and field teams so I can relate to the trials and tribulations that go into playing sports. But I really didn’t know much about fencing and your film does a great job educating the audience about this sport. Was that one of the aims of the film?
Buechel: Absolutely, one of the goals of Fencing for the Edge is to shed light on the world of fencing and introduce audiences to the intricacies and intensity of the sport. We have some visual explanations of the basic rules but had to leave a lot of the minutia out because it gets too complicated. The main ideas about fencing we want to convey are that anyone can fence, no matter their size, and it’s more about your personality fitting one of the three weapons: foil, epee, and saber. Drawing from my own background in sports, I recognized the universal themes of perseverance, teamwork, and triumph that resonate across athletic endeavors. Through the lens of fencing, we aimed to educate and inspire viewers, regardless of their familiarity with the sport.
Nigrin: You were an award winning fencer, correct? And you want to promote the sport you love but also focus on women’s issues playing sports? Is that the correct take on your documentary?
Buechel: Yes, that's correct. As an award-winning fencer myself, I am deeply passionate about promoting the sport of fencing and advocating for women's participation in athletics. Fencing for the Edge serves as a platform to showcase the athleticism, skill, and resilience of female athletes while also addressing broader issues of gender equality and empowerment in sports. Women gain so many life skills from sports in addition to the health benefits of physical activity. While they don’t compete against each other, fencing is one of the few sports where boys and girls can train together and support each other in a team environment. I’m also a huge fan of high school fencing because the sport becomes more accessible when it’s offered as a sport in the school. I’m hoping more areas will start adding programs at the high school and middle school levels when they see how inclusive, safe, and exciting fencing is for kids.
Nigrin: Your wonderful film has been in the works for quite a while as it focuses on a Bernards HS run to the State Championship back in 2013-14?? Why did it take so long to finish it?
Buechel: The journey to complete Fencing for the Edge was long, primarily due to the extensive post-production processes involved in crafting the story. At first, I was the only editor and worked with an assistant to help organize over 300 hours of footage. I was working as a freelance editor and eventually in a staff position so it was exhausting to work on the project after my whole day was already occupied with other editing projects. Gradually, I raised more money and was able to hire my editor, Jenna Bush, who I met virtually through the D-Word. (One of the good things to come from covid!) We did the follow-up interviews with the Bernards girls once we realized what was missing from the story and were able to film in person again. We wanted to ensure that the film authentically portrayed the highs and lows of their journey while also honoring their privacy and safety.
Nigrin: Are there any memorable stories while you made this film or any other info about your film you would like to relay to us?
Buechel: This film took so long to finish that I’ve since been married and am approaching my 40s! In one version of the film when we were still including the Bernards boys team, there were shots of my future husband as the referee of the boys match. So for a while, when we later started dating, he would tell people that he was in the movie. Steph, the girls epee coach from Bernards, has become one of my best friends and we were in each other’s weddings! There are lots of familiar faces in the film because I’m so connected to the fencing community. I hope everyone finally enjoys this time capsule of an epic season as much as I do.
Fencing for the Edge premieres at the 2024 New Jersey International Film Festival on Saturday, June 8 with Anastasia Forde’s Found: The King of Matsutake Ridge -- a short documentary that explores the beautiful and intense world of Philip Manganaro, renowned chef, forager, and owner of Park Place Café in Merchantville, NJ. These films will be available for screening online for 24 hours on this day and will also be shown in-person at 7:00 PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Fencing for the Edge Director Holly Buechel, Found: The King of Matsutake Ridge Director Anastasia Forde and Philip Manganaro will be on hand to do a Q+A after the In-Person screening! Tickets are available for purchase here.
The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies, presents the 2024 New Jersey International Film Festival which marks its 29th Anniversary. The NJIFF competition will be taking place on the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between May 31 - June 9, 2024 and will be a hybrid one with online as well as in-person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VOD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person screenings. The in-person screenings will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 5PM or 7PM on their show date. Plus, The NJIFF is very proud to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler will be in concert on Saturday, June 15 in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ at 7PM. General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$120; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program.; General Admission Marissa Nadler Concert Ticket=$25. For more info go here: https://2024newjerseyinternationalfilmfestival.eventive.org/welcome
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