While Roberts’ relationship with Page is at the centre of the film, the wrestler also has a few volatile exchanges with Yu captured on film. While Page was off on business trips, it’s up to the filmmaker — who studied economics at Cornell University and has no training in counselling — to keep an occasionally intoxicated Roberts in check.
“Some people would say ‘weren’t you afraid he was going to beat you up?’” says Yu. “Well, he’s really kind of harmless. He’s not going to get physical, even though he gets emotional. I’m younger than him and he was out of shape. So it’s not like I was worried. But it was tough being in those situations where there are these larger-than-life people and we’re trying to keep them under control and on the right path.”