Grappling Grace
A jazz-dancing Iranian-British wrestler opens a healing dojo inside a church in Bristol, armed with a belief that wrestling might just save the world.
GRAPPLING GRACE is about grief disguised as comedy and therapy disguised as combat. An uplifting short film about healing, creativity and the small acts that keep us human.
“At a time when immigrants in the United Kingdom are often seen in a negative light, this is the perfect portrayal of a beautiful human being during a challenging time in his life. Uplifting and sad in equal measure, Alexander Kiehl and Misha Novak have built a film that is not only technically superb, but also imbued with hope and love.” Balinale Jury, Committee Choice Award
"Taking home the award for Sadler's Wells Best Documentary was Grappling Grace. The heartwarming British film follows Saeed Esmaeli, an Iranian-British wrestler and jazz dancer who establishes a healing dojo inside a church. Dubbed the "Iranian Billy Elliot," Esmaeli utilizes a unique form of dance-wrestling therapy to foster community connection and resilience. The Dance Digital festival jury praised the project as a beautifully shot, sensitive story with tremendous heart, seamlessly exploring grief through comedy and combat." Theatre News
The original score by Ruben Fox, a leading voice in the UK and US Jazz scene, was recorded live to picture with an 8-piece band.
This is a community film owned by Saeed's non-profit Wrestle For Humanity. All profits from the film go to supporting their work.
Winner Committee Choice Award, Bali International Film Festival 2026 Winner Best Documentary, Sadler's Wells Dance Digital 2026 Official Selection, Brooklyn Film Festival 2026 Official Selection, LightReel Festival 2026 Official Selection, Barcelona Indie Film Festival 2026 Official Selection, MYTH: Social Impact Film Award Winner, Paris Bridge of Peace Festival Winner Best Documentary, Kiez Berlin FF Winner Best Documentary, London Film Club Winner, Sicilian Film Awards
Directed by Misha Novak & Alex Kiehl 2026
Alex Kiehl is a BAFTA, Grierson and multi-award nominated documentary filmmaker. He loves telling incredible human stories with emotion, scale, humour and intimacy. Recently he’s followed the first woman from Latin America to search for Cleopatra's tomb; explored the largest machine humans have ever built at CERN; and created a beautiful portrait of a jazz-dancing Olympic coach who believes wrestling might just save the world.
His films have reached huge global audiences on Disney+, Netflix and the BBC. They've also screened at film festivals like CPH DOX. His latest films are THE PEACE PARTICLE for ARTE and BBC, CLEOPATRA'S FINAL SECRET for National Geographic.
Misha Novak is an emerging filmmaker and visual artist. He recently showcased his skills as a writer on Tamara Kotevska’s “The Tale of Silyan”, which premiered at Venice Film Festival. Also worked as camera on the Netflix documentary "Mark Cavendish: Never Enough, which explores the intricate life of the iconic cyclist.