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EP1 Stockholm 1912 Official Film | The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912 Jul 01, 2016

No extant feature film made in 1912 can stand comparison with the brilliant black-and-white cinematography of this documentary. We are plunged into a sweltering Swedish summer, with athletes parading before the Swedish royal family, the King himself distributing medals and laurel wreaths to the winners, and individual sports covered with grace and humour. Legendary names appear – George S. Patton, the future general of World War II, competing in the Modern Pentathlon, or Jim Thorpe, the “All-American”, who won gold in both the Pentathlon and the Decathlon. There is excellent coverage of the Diving competition and of the Marathon, as it unfolds in the countryside outside Stockholm.

EP2 Chamonix 1924 Official Film | The Olympic Games held at Chamonix in 1924 Jul 01, 2011

Photographed by Bernard Natan's team of cameramen at Rapid-Film, this is a fascinating documentary, in part because it evokes the spirit and society of the time so vividly. The ice hockey matches are played in the open-air, with Canada facing the United States in the final. The occasion is marked by an engaging informality, with individual winners borne aloft by enthusiastic supporters, and exhibitions of “military patrol” skiing across country. Other sports featured include curling, figure skating, and speed skating (check in film!). Competitors cope cheerfully with the dangers of winter sports: a number of ski-jumpers take a tumble on landing, and one member of the Swiss four-man bobsleigh team breaking both legs in a crash. Jean de Rovera

EP3 St Moritz 1928 Official Film | The White Stadium Jul 01, 2015

Arnold Fanck was already famous for his “mountain” films, notably starring Leni Riefenstahl. He and Othmar Gurtner devote the opening sequence to a vivid description of the lake, and the woodland surrounding St. Moritz. We see children engaged in a snowball fight, and skiers training naked on the sunlit mountain slopes. Whether it be the 14-year-old Sonja Henie in figure-skating, or horses and jockeys galloping across the frozen lake in the “skijoring” races, the mood of this brilliant documentary is exhilarating at every level. Technically, the film is superb, using multiple cameras and imaginative viewpoints to convey the Olympic spirit.

EP4 Amsterdam 1928 Official Film | The Olympic Games, Amsterdam 1928 Jul 02, 2016

Women could compete in track and field at the Summer Olympics for the first time in Amsterdam. Forty-six nations (including newcomers Haiti and the Philippines) participated in the 1928 event, which is recorded with often surprising intimacy by Wilhelm Prager and his crew (as when the great Paavo Nurmi, having just lost the 5,000 meters by stride, refuses to pose for the usual close-up). Photo-finish cameras were employed for the first time in this Olympiad, and multiple cameras were used to cover the Marathon through varied terrain, as well as the open-air gymnastics competition. Italian technicians contributed significantly to the making of this film.

EP5 St Moritz and London 1948 Official Film | XIVth Olympiad: The Glory of Sport Jul 02, 2011

For the first time at any Olympiad, more than 4,000 athletes participated in the Summer Games, the first to be held in London since 1908. After a prologue showing highlights from the Winter Games in St. Moritz, track and field predominates, with Fanny Blankers-Koen, the “Flying Dutchwoman”, winning four gold medals, and new heroes like distance runner Emil Zatopek and sprinter and hurdler Harrison Dillard coming to the fore. Germany and Japan had not been invited to take part, and the Soviet Union refused to send a team, but 59 nations came to London notwithstanding. The Marathon, as so often in the Summer Games, provides some of the most absorbing moments.

EP6 Oslo 1952 Official Film | The VI Olympic Winter Games, Oslo 1952 Dec 02, 2018

Few nations embrace winter sports with such fervour as Norway, which has produced great skiers in every discipline, especially cross-country. More than half a million spectators attended the Games, and 100,000 of those crowded the area around the legendary ski jumping facility in Holmenkollen outside Oslo. Perhaps the most cinematic moment is when the Olympic “fire” is kindled in a mountain refuge, and then the torch is borne by relay runners all the way to Bislett Stadium in Oslo for the Opening Ceremony. During the competition, cameras attached to individual skiers, and to the front of bobsleds, give many sequences a dramatic and subjective impact.

EP10 Innsbruck 1964 Official Film | IX Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck 1964 Dec 03, 2015

More than one thousand athletes descended on the Austrian resort of Innsbruck in the Tirol, including a remarkable team from the Soviet Union, which topped the medal table as it had in the two previous Winter Games. Snow cannons helped to compensate for an unusually modest amount of snow on the ski slopes. Through the excellent commentary, Theo Hörmann furnishes his audience with useful details about each discipline, even the ideal line to follow for bobsleigh competitors. This appealing documentary revels in the folkloric traditions of the Tyrol, with brass bands and yodellers much in evidence.

EP11 Tokyo 1964 Official Film | Tokyo Olympiad Jul 02, 2013

Tokyo had been selected to host the Summer Games in 1940, but with war on the horizon, the host city had to withdraw. Ichikawa treated the 1964 event with an intensely humanist vision, dwelling not just on the effort and commitment of individual athletes but also on the experience of spectators and competitors alike. Using the 'scope format, his team of cameramen brought their telephoto lenses to bear on some of the greatest medallists of the modern era, from Bob Hayes and Dawn Fraser to Abebe Bikila and Joe Frazier. With its superb editing and sound recording, this documentary remains an unrivalled treat for both eye and ear.

EP12 Grenoble 1968 Official Film | Snows of Grenoble Dec 02, 2010

Using subjective camerawork, Ertaud and Languepin seize the pulse of the Games, with blink-of-an-eye cutting and slow-motion when needed. The dominant figure at the Winter Games in Grenoble was Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy, whose three gold medals equalled the feat of Toni Sailer in 1956. The filmmakers gambled on his winning streak, and include comments by him as he prepares for each race. Another athlete accorded perceptive treatment on screen is Marielle Goitschel, who wins the women's slalom. Fans of ice dancing will enjoy the extended coverage of the victorious Oleg Protopopov and partner Ludmila Belousova. President Charles De Gaulle was present for the spectacular Opening Ceremony.

EP13 Sapporo 1972 Official Film | Sapporo Winter Olympics Dec 02, 2013

Shinoda treats his material with a dignified grace that renders his documentary one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Olympic films. Sapporo is in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and the snow and winter chill ensure that the Winter Games live up to their name. While Dutch and Swiss athletes triumphed in certain disciplines, the Japanese won all three medals in the normal hill ski jumping. The figure skating is transformed into an interlude of beauty, with swans in flight superimposed over the skaters during their routines. During the finale, Toru Takemitsu's music enhances the suspense surrounding the large hill ski jumping competition.

EP14 Montreal 1976 Official Film | Games of XXI Olympiad Jul 04, 2014

This is an unusual documentary in that it resists the temptation to exalt the winners. In the gymnastic competition, for example, neither Olga Korbut nor Nelli Kim look their best, and the brilliant young talent, Nadia Comăneci, is hardly glorified. Finland's Lase Virén won gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, as he had done in Munich, but the film dwells more on his performance in the Marathon, where he finishes fifth. Labrecque and his team excel in showing behind-the-scenes footage – preparations for the cycling team pursuit, for example, or the emotional triumph of Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) in the decathlon.

EP15 Innsbruck 1976 Official Film | White Rock Dec 04, 2013

From the opening scenes, of Hollywood star James Coburn preparing to hurtle down the course in a four-man bobsled, British director Tony Maylam's film sets an altogether non-conformist tone. Coburn involves himself fearlessly in several disciplines, including the luge, ice hockey and the biathlon. He also discusses the art of waxing skis prior to competition, and the finer points of figure skating. English keyboardist Rick Wakeman provides the film with a rousing score that helped it to run for several months in cinemas. It's a documentary that communicates the glamour and intensity of winter sports.

EP16 Mexico 1968 Official Film | The Olympics in Mexico Jul 04, 2014

The high altitude of Mexico City, allied to the political and social upheavals of the time in Mexico itself, meant that the Summer Olympics of 1968 were the most controversial of modern times. But Alberto Isaac recorded so many events with a rare command of sound and image that his film received an Academy Award nomination for best documentary. Among the highlights are Bob Beamon's prodigious leap in the long jump, Debbie Meyer's triumphs in the swimming pool, and Dick Fosbury's revolutionary “flop” technique in the high jump. There is superb coverage of the water polo, as well as of the diving competitions.

EP17 Munich 1972 Official Film | Visions of Eight Jul 04, 2013

Producer David Wolper brought together eight filmmakers from various countries, each of whom focused on a different event or theme. They include Arthur Penn on the pile vault, Kon Ichikawa on the 100 metres, Milos Forman on the decathlon, Mai Zetterling on the weightlifters, Michael Pfleghar on female athletes, and Claude Lelouch on “The Losers”. The result is a thoughtful and kaleidoscopic view of the Games in Munich, an occasion marked by a terrorist attack that left eleven Israeli athletes and coaches dead. John Schlesinger's segment (on “The Marathon”) touches on this outrage.

EP18 Sarajevo 1984 Official Film | A Turning Point Dec 04, 2015

Cultural events are held within the context of each Olympiad, and Kim Takal gives them due prominence in this intimate documentary, held in the Bosnian and Herzegovnian city of Sarajevo, some years after the death of President Tito but before Yugoslavia fractured into republican strife. Each of the disciplines on view is analysed in depth from the victories of Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen in the cross country skiing to the figure skating of Katarina Witt and the ice dancing routine of the British pair, Torvill and Dean. Snow and fog hampered the skiing events, but Takal manages to find drama and skill on the slopes, and interviews several prominent athletes about their fears and aspirations.

EP19 Los Angeles 1984 Official Film | 16 Days of Glory Jul 05, 2013

By any yardstick, the 1984 Summer Games were a triumph of organisational skill, under the leadership of Peter Ueberroth. Some of the greatest achievements in the history of the Olympics unfolded in Los Angeles: Carl Lewis's four gold medals, Joan Benoit winning the first-ever women's marathon, Michael Gross's two golds and two silvers in the swimming pool, and Sebastian Coe's second successive gold in the 1,500 metres. The American TV producer Bud Greenspan would go on to make nine further Olympic documentaries, and introduced the in-depth study of individual competitors which would become the hallmark of his work.

EP20 Moscow 1980 Official Film | O Sport, You Are Peace! Jul 03, 2016

Only eighty National Olympic Committees took part in the Moscow Summer Games, due to a boycott initiated by the United States in view of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. But the Russian hosts rose to the challenge, devoting enormous care to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The American athletes were conspicuous by their absence (notably in the sprints), although nobody could have stopped the Cuban Teófilo Stevenson from winning the heavyweight boxing for a third successive gold medal. The sports most revered in the Soviet Union receive detailed coverage here: wrestling, weight-lifting, and gymnastics.

EP21 Calgary 1988 Official Film | Calgary '88 16 Days of Glory Dec 03, 2013

In the Canadian Rocky Mountains close to Calgary, the young Finn Matti Nykänen added three gold medals to his already prodigious list of honours. Bud Greenspan, having carefully researched the lives and careers of participating athletes, gives a vivid portrayal of Nykänen, and other key personalities in Calgary such as the figure skater Katarina Witt, the 50km cross country skier Gunde Svan, and the speed skater Gaétan Boucher. There is a fascinating analysis of the two-man bobsleigh and its specialist technique. The film also pays homage to the indigenous traditions of the First Nations and Inuit peoples of western Canada.

EP22 Seoul 1988 Official Film | Seoul 1988 Jul 02, 2004

This spectacular, comprehensive record of the first Summer Games to be held in South Korea offers a feast for the eyes, notably in the Opening Ceremony (the last to take place during the day), which is recorded by aerial cameras and close-ups in the stadium. Lee underlines the significance of hosting the Games for his compatriots, showing spectators at the many venues and in the streets and temples of the metropolis. The film includes coverage of minor sports that are revered in South Korea: archery, table tennis, weight-lifting and shooting. Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter, is seen at Incheon airport, leaving Seoul in disgrace after failing his drugs test for the 100 metres.

EP23 Albertville 1992 Official Film | One Light, one World Dec 02, 2016

During the Opening Ceremony, in the presence of French President François Mitterrand, shots of real contemporary events are intercut with dreamlike moments of a rare beauty and grace. Hosted in the small resort of Albertville, in the Savoie region of France, the Winter Games are recorded here on 16mm film. This does not hamper the energy and invention of the directors, however. Their vision embraces both thoughtful interviews with Jean-Claude Killy and Michel Barnier, the co-presidents of the Albertville Organising Committee, as well as the physical force required by Alberto Tomba to win a giant slalom title, or the aesthetic appeal of the figure skating finals.

EP24 Barcelona 1992 Official Film | Marathon Jul 04, 2013

The illustrious Spanish director, Carlos Saura, created a structure for this documentary as unconventional as the buildings of Gaudí that adorn the host city of Barcelona. Coverage of the men's Marathon appears at intervals throughout the narrative, thus enshrining the Games' most emblematic event. All the charismatic winners are on view, from 400m champion Michael Johnson to weightlifter Ivan Ivanov, but Saura observes the rigorous training routines with as much passion as the finals themselves. Composers like Ryuichi Sakamato, Mikis Theodorakis, and Angelo Badalamenti contribute to the changing moods of this excellent film.

EP25 Lillehammer 1994 Official Film | Lillehammer '94, 16 Days of Glory Dec 02, 1994

The Torch Relay, introduced originally at the Berlin Summer Olympics of 1936, is a favoured feature of Bud Greenspan's documentary, and here he shows the Olympic flame being carried through the Norwegian mountains until at last a ski jumper carries it down the 90-metre hill in Lillehammer to land outside the stadium in spectacular style. Using archive footage as well as live interviews, the film includes in-depth profiles of champions such as the skiing maestro Alberto Tomba, American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, and the speed skater Johann Olav Koss. Prince Albert of Monaco is interviewed as he takes part in the bobsleigh competition.

EP26 Atlanta 1996 Official Film | Atlanta's Olympic Glory Jul 02, 1997

The final athlete to lift the Olympic flame and light the huge cauldron in Atlanta was heavyweight boxing legend, Muhammad Ali. Director Bud Greenspan again relies on detailed studies of individual athletes, and this film features conversations with sprinter Michael Johnson, British rowing ace Steven Redgrave, veteran French cyclist Jeannie Longo, and Ireland's controversial gold medallist in swimming, Michelle Smith. Archery, weight-lifting and gymnastics are also featured, as well as the men's marathon, won by South African Josia Thugwane. These centennial Summer Games marked the fourth occasion on which a U.S. City hosted the Olympiad.

EP27 Nagano 1998 Official Film | Nagano '98 Olympics, Stories of Honor and Glory Dec 01, 1998

Entitled, “Nagano '98: Stories of Honor and Glory”, Bud Greenspan's film pays tribute to the athletes of the world competing on the slopes and in the stadia of this charming Japanese city. Heavy snow and thick fog may have threatened some of the key events, but all were held successfully. Particular consideration is given to the Norwegian Bjørn Dæhlie, the finest cross-country skier of his era; Japanese ski jumper Masahiko Harada; and Chinese figure skater Lu Chen, who wins a bronze medal despite injury and depression. Bud Greenspan's abiding virtue is that he sympathises with losers as well as winners.

EP28 Salt Lake City 2002 Official Film | Salt Lake City 2002, Bud Greenspan's Stories of Olympic Glory Dec 02, 2003

The Opening Ceremony in Salt Lake City was tinged with tragic overtones as less than six months earlier, the World Trade Center had been destroyed. Some of the portraits in this documentary are engrossing, for Bud Greenspan is attracted to those who have overcome adversity. Women's Alpine Combined star Janica Kostelic of Croatia, having recovered from a terrible fall in training, is seen using logs as part of a weight-training programme. Alisa Camplin who takes the gold medal for Australia in the Freestyle Skiing Aerials. Also profiled is Jimmy Shea, who not only recited the Athlete's Oath in Salt Lake City, but won the men's skeleton competition for the United States.

EP29 Athens 2004 Official Film | Bud Greenspan's Athens 2004: Stories of Olympic Glory Jul 02, 2005

Many felt that economic conditions in Greece would derail the Athens Olympiad. But the dignified Opening Ceremony, full of grace and historical references, put paid to such fears. The shot put events took place at Olympia, and all gold medallists received an olive crown. Local heroes like Pyrvos Dimas, the medal-winning weight-lifter, are featured in Greenspan's documentary. Some often overlooked sports are given prominence: fencing, softball, and cycling, for example. Hicham El Guerrouji is shown finally winning the gold medal he so richly deserved in the 1,500 metres after being knocked over in Atlanta 1996, and beaten on the line in Sydney 2000.

EP30 Sydney 2000 Official Film | Sydney 2000, Stories of Olympic Glory Jul 02, 2001

Entitled “Sydney 2000: Stories of Olympic Glory,” Bud Greenspan's film concentrates on a handful of key athletes – local star Cathy Freeman, who surged to victory in the 400 metres; Leontien van Moorsel, the Dutch cyclist who overcame anorexia to win two gold medals; and Chris Huffins, the American who achieved bronze in the decathlon after combating diabetes. Both equestrianism and baseball are given due attention, while the triumph of local swimmer Ian Thorpe over Gary Hall at the finish of the 4 x 100m relay underlines the importance of crowd support at the Olympics. Greenspan's commentary reminds us that Australia is one of just four nations that have competed in every Olympiad.

EP31 Vancouver 2010 Official Film | Bud Greenspan Presents Vancouver 2010, Stories of Olympic Glory Dec 02, 2010

Canada has always been a major force in the domain of winter sports, and some of the country's finest competitors are involved in the Vancouver Games, such as speed skater Clara Hughes who, at the age of thirty-seven, takes home a bronze medal in speed skating; and the nation's ice hockey team, which wins its seventh gold medal in the Winter Games. Greenspan has often extolled the role of the coach behind the scenes, and this time he focuses on Yao Bin, coach to three Chinese figure skating pairs. Vancouver boasted the longest national stage (45,000 km) for a Torch Relay in the history of the Winter Games.

EP32 Turin 2006 Official Film | Bud Greenspan's Torino 2006: Stories of Olympic Glory Dec 02, 2007

The highlight of the Opening Ceremony in Turin was the singing of “Nessun dorma” by Luciano Pavarotti, in his final public performance. Germany may have topped the medal table, but the Italians were cheered on by boisterous crowds, none more so than Giorgio Di Centa, who proved victorious in the men's 50 km cross country skiing event. Also noted by Greenspan is speed skater Enrico Fabris, who took home three medals including two gold. Shizuka Arakawa became the first Japanese woman to win a gold medal in figure skating. Another skater, Joey Cheek, pledges his prize money to a children's charity in Africa. Just tribute is paid to the 26,000 volunteers who ensured the success of the Games.

EP33 London 2012 Official Film | First Jul 02, 2012

In 2012 London became the first city to host the Summer Games on three occasions, and more than eight million tickets were sold to an enthusiastic British public. Caroline Rowland takes an unusual, and ultimately rewarding approach to her subject. She focuses on athletes coming to the Games for the first time, travelling to their various countries to watch them training. She begins with Danny Boyle's often startling, and kinetic, Opening Ceremony and then sets off on her cinematic travels. To Kenya's Rift Valley, for example, to observe 800 metre champion David Rudisha. Or to India, to meet Heena Sidhu, who yearns to win a medal in the shooting competition.

EP34 Sochi 2014 Official Film | Rings of the World Dec 03, 2014

Endowed with outstanding cinematography, and in-depth interviews with competitors, this documentary underlines the gender parity being achieved at an Olympic level. Women compete in ski jumping for the first time at the Winter Games, and Canada is seen beating the United States at the last gasp in the women's ice hockey final. Disciplines given prominence here include speed skating, figure skating, aerial skiing, curling, and the biathlon. Training is analysed as much as the competitions themselves. A suite of accidents and mishaps, and the consequent tears of frustration, remind us that the Olympics is not just about winning.

EP35 Beijing 2008 Official Film | The Everlasting Flame Jul 03, 2010

This is unquestionably one of the most assured of all Olympic films. The sumptuous Opening Ceremony was master-minded by renowned director Zhang Yimou, and the film describes in detail how he developed his vision. Director Gu Jun chronicles the individual competitions, but she also ventures beyond China to see athletes preparing for the Games – in Jamaica, Ethiopia, Germany, and Texas. Usain Bolt, double gold medallist in the sprints, became an overnight hero in Beijing, while other favourites failed to reach the medals, due to injury (Xiang Liu, the hurdler) or crashes (Kyle Ray Bennett in the BMX races).

EP36 Rio 2016 Official Film | Days of Truce Jul 02, 2017

Breno Silveira and his four co-directors captured the zest and emotion of the Summer Olympics in this comprehensive documentary. Starting with a brilliant montage of old buildings and highways being destroyed to make way for Olympic venues, and not sidestepping Brazil's economic and political woes, the film focuses on the people of Rio as well as world stars like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. There's a strong sense of dozens of events unfolding simultaneously, and recognition of several nations winning gold at the Olympics for the first time. Silveira also highlights the Refugee Olympic team and its significance.

EP37 PyeongChang 2018 Official Film | Crossing Beyond Dec 03, 2018

Clearly influenced by Bud Greenspan's humanist approach to Olympic documentaries, this film follows the fortunes of six athletes aspiring to reach the Olympics and gain a medal. The first half of the documentary describes the background of the athletes, their preparatory training, and, in the case of two of them, the thrill of mounting the podium. Each is interviewed at length in their home countries of Afghanistan, Austria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. One of the most remarkable facets of this Winter Games is the bonding between women from North and South Korea to create a combined ice hockey team, even in the shadow of armed tension between the two countries.

5.5| 0h30m| TV-PG| en

Synopsis

Throughout the first century of cinema, the Olympic movement produced more than forty official documentaries, covering both the Summer and Winter Games. This series offers a compelling history, not just of dozens of sports, but also of changing customs and habits in over twenty countries.

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Reviews

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.