Dartmouth-based filmmaker Matthew Pyne premieres his documentary short, UNRETIRED: The Return of Sandy Pembroke, on YouTube today [Friday, December 20, 2024]. The film is the final project in Pyne’s Radio Television Journalism program studies at the Nova Scotia Community College. “This is a student film, and it’s a culmination of all that I learned in my two-year program,” Pyne says.
My hope is that the audience understands why Sandy, at 51 years old, would want to go back to the ring. – filmmaker Matthew Pyne
UNRETIRED follows 51-year-old boxer Sandy Pembroke’s return to the ring after an eight-year hiatus and career-threatening spinal surgery. The bout, which brought Pembroke back to the sport, took place earlier this year at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. In it, he faced an opponent who was 20 years his junior.
Despite criticism and doubt from some, including the Nova Scotia Combat Sports Authority, Pembroke remained driven in his quest. “When I’m fighting and training for a fight, my life is better,” he says.
While Pyne’s sub-13-minute film focuses on Pembroke’s return to the boxing ring, it also delves into other storylines, including Pembroke’s relationship with his twin brother, Michael, who recounts Pembroke’s protection during his childhood battle with chemotherapy, his unwavering support of his wife Tracey and Pembroke’s struggles with body image and weight and his search for purpose and identity.
Pyne says the film’s biggest strength lies in focusing on Pembroke as a person and hopes viewers understand his motivation. “This isn’t an easy film for anyone to have done …, especially a boxer whose occupation is to hide their vulnerabilities,” says Pyne. “My hope is that the audience understands why Sandy, at 51 years old, would want to go back to the ring.”
Pyne initially formed a friendship with Pembroke during training sessions at Halifax’s Titans Martial Arts and Fitness. “We trained together at Titans MMA, and after boxing class, we’d have these long discussions about life and martial arts in the sauna,” says Pyne. “When I heard that he was going to be returning to the ring, I thought this was a great thing to capture for a documentary.”
Before filming the documentary, the two collaborated on other projects, including interviews for Pyne’s Good People Bad Intentions podcast, which focuses on fighters and their stories.
Completing the film wasn’t without its challenges, as Pyne faced a significant setback when $5,000 worth of camera gear and footage was stolen. “I was able to recover my Macbook Pro at a local Value Village,” he says. “It was spotted by a fellow NSCC student who saw a post I made on Instagram. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to recover the rest of what was stolen.”
Pyne remains pleased with the final product despite the setbacks. “Overall, I’m happy with how the film turned out,” he says. “I was planning on doing some more artist shoots for this film, but because of scrambling to try and recover my gear [and] footage, I didn’t.”
When asked about his future, Pyne says that he and Pembroke are exploring opportunities to expand on UNRETIRED, with his ultimate dream “to be a full-time filmmaker and to be able to travel to tell people’s stories.”
UNRETIRED: The Return of Sandy Pembroke premieres on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 8:30 p.m. AST on the Good People Bad Intentions YouTube channel. An online Q&A will follow the screening.