What to expect from the new Marshawn Lynch documentary

Marshawn Lynch was interesting to watch, on or off the football field. The former Seattle Seahawk is now on the big screen in a documentary called “Lynch: A History,” by author and University of Washington professor David Shields.

"Lynch: A History" debuts Monday at the Seattle International Film Festival. Ross Reynolds saw the film and told KUOW’s Angela King about his conversation with the director.

Angela King: This movie is a little unusual. How does it portray Marshawn Lynch?

Ross Reynolds: Well you're going to see the amazing plays that Marshawn ran in what he called Beast Mode. But this is not a standard sports documentary. Shields pulled together hundreds of film clips and assembled them collage-style not just to tell the story of Marshawn Lynch, but also how Lynch shapes his own story and his novel way of dealing with the incessant, often inane questions from media.

What about Lynch's history of refusing to speak at the NFL’s media events?

Part of the NFL contract says you must appear at press conferences, so to comply and avoid getting fined, Lynch did the bare minimum, often with one-word answers. David Shields says Marshawn’s silence was actually a powerful tactic, a form of resistance.

So do we hear much from Marshawn?

We do. He turned down an interview for the movie, but I think Shields kind of liked that because that gave him free rein. And Lynch is not as silent as he has a reputation for being, so there are some great clips. You get a sense of his humor. We also hear Lynch talking about his tough upbringing and his devotion to his mom.

This film is showing at SIFF Cinema Uptown at 7 p.m., Monday, June 3 and at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5.