The long-awaited ESPN 30 for 30 Be Water is set to premiere this Sunday, June 7 at 9pm ET. The documentary follows the story of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, and is premiering three weeks after ESPN's previous hit The Last Dance, the story of Michael Jordan and the '97-98 Chicago Bulls.
Directed by Bao Nguyen, Be Water will surely will not disappoint both die hard Enter the Dragonfans, or anyone who does not know much about Bruce Lee.
Lee is a well known presence in pop culture. Being is one of the most famous action stars in history, and even though he still holds a presence in our hearts, there is still a great deal of mystery about his life. If the name Bruce Lee is said, many picture themes like yellow jumpsuits, or loud expressions followed by powerful punches and kicks. However, there is much more to the man than martial arts. The title for the documentary comes from the famous Bruce Lee quote:
"Empty your mind, become formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. Put water into a cup, it becomes the cup...Be water, my friend."
Bao Nguyen on Bruce Lee:
"I'd never seen a lead actor who looked like me. I couldn't get over the fact that he was the film's hero. He wasn't the villain. He wasn't a sidekick. He was a confident leading man. Growing up in America, I was not used to seeing this type of depiction of Asian males."
Although being an icon worldwide, not many have actually seen his films. Lee starred in only four completed martial arts films in his lifetime. The final one, which is also the most famous, Enter the Dragon, was released a month after his sudden death by cerebral edema in 1973. Not many other actors have been able to have such a gravitational impact with such a small body of work.
