Documentary

My New Documentary About Women’s Self-Defence Released

My documentary Self-Defence is one of the most personal and challenging films I’ve ever directed. From the start, I wanted to create something simple—but not simplistic. A film that says clearly and without hesitation: everyone can learn to defend themselves.

Olaf de Fleur

Apr 20, 2025 — 6 min read

My documentary Self-Defence is one of the most personal and challenging films I’ve ever directed. From the start, I wanted to create something simple—but not simplistic. A film that says clearly and without hesitation: everyone can learn to defend themselves.

Trailer - Self-Defence

But that message carries weight. Because self-defence isn’t just about physical protection—it’s about self-respect. And when someone begins to truly value themselves, the way they move through the world changes. That kind of internal shift doesn’t just help the individual—it ripples outward into communities, relationships, and society as a whole.

The story unfolds through siblings Imma Helga and Jón Viðar, with Imma at the centre. Her courage, honesty, and presence pulled me in from the beginning. Through her journey, we see how confronting fear—directly and honestly—can lead to deep, lasting transformation.

I began filming in the midst of the COVID pandemic in 2020, and we followed the siblings for nearly four years. The editing phase was long and intense, carefully shaped to build a structure that makes the ideas in this film deeply accessible. I wanted to create a documentary that doesn’t just tell you why self-defence matters—it shows you, in every frame, how it can serve anyone who chooses to practice it. On many, many levels.

My connection to this story is personal. I started training with Imma and Jón back in 2010 while filming City State. That was the first time my eyes were opened to the world of martial arts—and it changed something in me. Today, that training continues to shape how I approach filmmaking, how I handle stress, and how I carry myself. It’s helped me stay calm under pressure, grounded in chaos, and confident in situations life throws my way.

This film is, at its core, a thank you. To them. To the practice. And to the quiet strength that comes from learning how to stand your ground.

The Story: Self-Defence is a documentary following Imma Helga, a self-defence instructor in Iceland who transformed her early struggles with bigotry, homophobia, and teenage depression into a mission of empowerment. Together with her brother, she teaches a practical, real-world approach to self-defence, helping women feel more aware, capable, and confident. Their TikTok account, with over a million followers—80% of whom are women—extends this message far beyond the classroom.

At its core, Self-Defence explores a powerful, universal theme: the right to protect oneself. Echoing the spirit of the global Me Too movement, the film presents self-defence not as a heroic feat, but as a basic, accessible skill—another form of speaking out and reclaiming one’s space.

The film unfolds in two layers. The outer layer demystifies self-defence, presenting it as a preventative, first-aid-like skill that enables women to escape, counter, or neutralise threats with instinctual confidence. The inner layer reveals Imma’s own path—her battles with inner doubt and social prejudice—and how those struggles mirror the physical and emotional challenges her students face.

By weaving together personal transformation and hands-on teaching, Self-Defence becomes more than a documentary about physical protection—it’s a call to reclaim power, presence, and self-trust in a world that often demands the opposite.