There are different forms of being a celebrity. Of course there are the actors and musicians, where being famous automatically means more popularity (and money), but als politicians get a lot of attention, especially when you have a different point of view. With fame also because negative consequences, like your safety. When people know you they want to get into contact with you, which often is friendly, but there are always a couple of people who want to hurt others. For them security is a necessity and this documentary looks at the world of bodyguards, both in entertainment, politics and the criminal underworld.
Bodyguards: Secret Lives from the Watchtower interviews the men (and a couple of women) who are prepared to give their lives for the person they are taking care of. And those are very diverse: You get to hear from Justin Bieber’s bodyguard, but also those who did security for Nelson Mandela or for criminal Whitey Bulger. They talk about how they got into the business, about doing their job but you also see what kind of training they do and get to hear which dangerous situations they found themselves in. It also has a huge impact on the way they live their lives. One of them even tells he wouldn’t do it again if he had the choice, because despite the money he doesn’t have a girlfriend or can remember a Christmas which was his. Director Jaren Hayman has made a very good-looking documentary which gives you a clear image of this profession you normally don’t think too much about.
