Watch CBS News

Preview Of Billy Corben's Documentary "Dawg Fight"

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The director of "Cocaine Cowboys" and "The U" has new documentary coming out Friday – "Dawg Fight."

Billy Corben's "Dawg Fight" is an inside look at Miami's underground world of backyard fighting, giving viewers a glimpse of a Miami many have never seen before.

"People outside of Miami-Dade - I think they think of Miami as 15 blocks of Ocean Drive. People see this footage and say that doesn't even look like America. It looks like the third world. And I say it is the third world. It's Miami-Dade," said Corben.

Corben and his team have put together a film detailing why some residents of Perrine participate in illegal, unsanctioned fights.

"Why they're here is to do something for pride, for money, for their families and they think this is their best opportunity…over the almost two years that we were shooting this movie – we saw at least four guys go pro and two that didn't live that long," Corben said.

To them the risk doesn't outweigh the reward; a shot at a professional fighting career is seen as an opportunity for those who struggle to find employment due to past criminal records

"I think that we captured the lives of human beings that don't get respect that are very often just a mugshot and just a statistic…it certainly made it about more than just the human cock fighting kind of world in southwest Miami-Dade. But about the people and their motivations and their struggle, and which I think ultimately like a lot of our documentaries is just a twisted take on the American dream," said Corben.

The film "Dawg Fight" can be seen at the O Cinema in Wynwood until Thursday March 19th, or you can purchase it for $5 at www.dawg-fight.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.