There is no limit to what girls can achieve, as director Mark Andrew Altschul demonstrates in his documentary All American, which follows three immigrant and first-generation young women wrestlers as they challenge expectations both on and off the wrestling mat. A former wrestler himself, Altschul highlights and emphasizes the fastest-growing high school and collegiate sport nationwide—women’s wrestling. As this sport develops for women, Altschul tracks Naomi, Jojo, and Arham, three dedicated girls committed to women’s wrestling, while also showcasing the supporters on the sidelines and on the mats, both literally and figuratively, assisting them on their journey.
Altschul crafts the film with multiple engaging layers, including the use of women’s wrestling to explore how immigrants face many pressures. It also follows Naomi and Jojo as they come of age, confronting issues of economic inequality in high schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn, while Arham from Yemen rejects her Muslim faith. Throughout filming, Altschul subtly yet intimately tracks Naomi, Jojo, and Arham as they train and compete against both boys and girls. Meanwhile, their dedicated coaches and supporters prepare them for competition and for life beyond high school and college.
In general, Naomi and Jojo are recognized and respected like any dedicated athletes committed to their sport and the sacrifices they make to succeed at the local through national levels. A highlight of All-American is Altschul’s ability to show how women’s wrestling exists and is growing across the country, and is as serious as any sport, especially now that it has gained recognition as an Olympic sport and by the NCAA.
“Altschul tracks Naomi, Jojo, and Arham as they train and compete against both boys and girls.”
All American features great footage of many talented female wrestlers on the sidelines or competing on the mats, with pans and tracking shots that demonstrate how the sport is transcending gender and showcasing athletic skill. Throughout the film, interviews are interspersed with coaches, supporters, advocates, and family members speaking honestly about the athletes and female wrestling.
Showing how these women, first-generation and immigrants, are strong and confident in body and mind is inspiring, especially as they challenge societal norms for women in a sport that is male-dominated. Their training is impressive, and they highlight the many meanings behind the film’s title, and that it is about more than just a sport.
One of the most intriguing aspects is Arham. Her dedication to wrestling leads her down an unusual path of rejecting her Muslim faith and eventually leaving her family. Brave and driven, Arham makes it to college as a female wrestler, but her fate takes a different turn than the mat. Altschul chooses to depict Arham’s journey with black-and-white watercolor-themed animation, which offers a unique perspective. However, this also steers the documentary into a different direction, perhaps even hinting at another film as Arham becomes an unknown figure burdened with heavy family guilt and supposedly returning to Yemen.
All American was filmed over several years, including during the pandemic, which had ramifications and progress for women’s wrestling programs. As the sport and the women who choose to participate in it continue to thrive, Altschul lays a foundation for future endeavors.
"…crafts the film with multiple engaging layers..."
