State of Play (2013)

The growing obsession of parents in the scholastic athletic competition of their children is the focus of this installment in HBO Sports innovative documentary series.

Combative sport has transcended time, and remains popular today. Is violence an inherent part of sports, or is it an inherent part of human beings? This film explores combat sports through two father-son relationships: a 33-year-old American professional MMA fighter who is combat-training his 10-year-old son, and a 47-year-old retired player of Calcio Storico in Florence, Italy, who has groomed his son to compete in a form of soccer (dating back to the 16th century) in which head-butting, punching, elbowing, deepthroating and choking are allowed.

Having spent his entire adult life as a professional boxer, 35-year-old Raymundo "Sugar Ray" Beltran (31-7-1, 19 KOs), a Mexican immigrant and father of three, is striving to win his first world title as his career wanes. Known as a formidable opponent and a sparring partner of worldwide superstar Manny Pacquiao, he has spent most of his career on the fringe of the sport and now strives to break free of his underdog status. Beltran's pursuit of a championship brings into sharp focus the question of what it takes to win and asks if talent and skill alone make an athlete successful in boxing, or do circumstance, context and politics also play a significant role?

In the complex political and war zone of the Middle East, the Palestine national football team keeps playing amid conflict and chaos.