'Mask' documentary filmmaker Bobby Razak seeks 'emotional distance' from film

It took more than seven years, with plenty of stops and starts, but Tuesday marked the release of a project filmmaker Bobby Razak promises he’ll remember on his deathbed.

“Mask,” a documentary that takes a look back at the life of MMA apparel pioneer Charles “Mask” Lewis, as well as the rise and fall of the TapouT clothing brand he founded, is now available on multiple cable and online platforms via video on demand, including Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. The film also will be available on Netflix this fall.

Razak said he met Lewis nearly 18 years ago, and for much of the time since his tragic passing in March 2009, the project has been in the works. Although a key narrative in the film is TapouT, there’s also some about the life of “Mask,” from his painful upbringing to his impact on the MMA scene to, of course, his untimely death and the fallout afterward.

The completion of the project is both a moment of pride and relief for Razak, he said. In a Q&A on with MMAjunkie on the release of the documentary, Razak explained why he’s looking forward to putting memories of the “Mask” film behind him for the foreseeable future.

* * * *

MMAjunkie: How do you feel about the film finally being available for the world to see?

Razak: I’m really proud that Charles has a voice. I felt like he did not have a voice after what happened with TapouT. It was being bankrupt and it being turned into basically nothing and not representing MMA anymore. I’m very proud I’ve given this man a voice. It’s very empowering.

MMAjunkie: Is that the main thing you are hoping people take away from this? That he has a voice finally? Or is there something more to it?

Razak: It’s that, but it’s also showing the complexity of Charles, too. One of the things I love about Mask is how I was able to show someone that was damaged and sexually abused and went through all these issues. We were able to channel that and show it to the world. I think if Charles saw this movie he would be very upset with me. He was very controlled in who his persona was. He was “Mask.” He wanted certain things to only be shown about him. For me to go deep into his story, he probably wouldn’t have liked it. But I think that’s also power. When you see someones struggle and they’ve been through so much then they crack $200 or $300 million, that’s kind of an empowering story. And it’s a complex story. That’s the power of the film. He would not like it, because I was brutally honest and showed stuff that was deeply personal, but at the same time I had to be real as a filmmaker and a documentarian and step out of the box of just being his friend.

MMAjunkie: Is that a difficult balance to strike as a filmmaker when there’s a personal relationship with the subject? Im sure you don’t want to do anything hurtful, but you want to tell his story as best as possible?

Razak: It was very difficult in the beginning but once I began to do it I knew it was the right thing. I didn’t know a lot of the stuff that happened, like he was peeing the bed until he was 15 years old, and experiencing very bad sexual abuse, those are things I didn’t know about. I found tapes where he would speak about it after he died and a box was given to me. I knew with Charles he was in a persona. Everything was very controlled and strategic. He never wanted to show who his true persona was, which is why he called himself Mask. So it was a very difficult decision, because I knew he would have hated me for it. But I think at the same time I have to be true to being a journalist and a documentarian. I had to do it. And once I made that decision I stuck with it.

MMAjunkie: You obviously had a close and longstanding relationship with Charles. I’m sure doing this film brought back a lot of great memories, but some tough memories too. What was it like going through all those emotions?

Razak: It was tough. I’ve done over 300 commercials, I’ve done 12 documentaries in various action, sports and music genres. Typically when you edit a film you’ve watched this film so many times that it gets to a point where you disconnect with the film. You’re just looking for edits and color correction and transitions. “Mask” is the only film I did where every time I feel like I’m almost watching it for the first time. It’s like a spear in my heart. It’s so bizarre. I’ve never felt that before. I’m happy to walk away from this now. Emotionally it will give me a break. I need an emotional break. It’s like every time I watch it, it’s a fresh wound being opened. I look forward to not watching it again.

MMAjunkie: When you think back to this film 20 years from now, what part of it all do you think will stick with you most?

Razak: It’s just the raw tape of Charles talking about his problems. That will always stand out to me. It’s a movie where he self narrates and it’s his profound statement at the end: ‘You’ll live long after you do.’ To me that’s very chilling. Every time I hear that it chills me to the bone. In 20, 30, 50 years – God willing I live that long – it’ll stick with me. They say when you die your life flashes before you. I’ve got a long career ahead of me, but I believe when I’m on my deathbed and my life flashes before me, this will be one of the things that sticks with me. I’m fairly sure.