Fight

In a conservative Armenian family a 16 years old Karine dreams to become a veterinarian, but her family, especially her father, who is a well-known dog-fighter, is against it. They say it’s not a proper job for women. Karine needs to choose: to follow her dreams or to listen to her patriarchal family.

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In particular, it is Karine's father who wants a different, more 'feminine' future for his daughter. He himself introduced her to the trade and is also happy that she takes on the work of caring for the animals and providing them with medical treatments. The film accompanies Karine and her family in a series of scenes both carefully selected and calmly captured: here the family's everyday existence in the cramped living room, there conversations about school and games with the cat. And then there’s the feeding of the chained dogs, a row of kennels in which the animals, bred for aggression and strength, can hardly contain their excitement, and finally the violent scenes of the dog fights.

FIGHT is characterised by a constant, irresolvable ambivalence between a love for animals and cruelty towards them. The competitions, which often end in bloodshed, are part of the tradition, and also an expression of the patriarchal structures in which Karine grew up and which encourage her to pursue her hobby - dancing - as a career. At almost seventeen, she is soon to graduate from school and has to make a decision that will determine her future.