My Way to Olympia: Berlin Review

My Way to Olympia: Berlin Review

11:10 AM PST 2/17/2013 by Stephen Dalton

The Bottom Line

Fresh, funny, upliftingdocumentaryaboutdisabledathletes

German director Niko von Glasow sharesthe personal storiesofParalympicchampions.

BERLIN - Premieringatthe Berlinale last week, thishighly personal andsurprisingly funny documentaryfollows a groupofdisabledathletespreparingtocompete in theParalympic Games in London last summer. The German directorNiko von Glasow, a formerassistanttoRainer Werner Fassbinder, was himselfbornwithshortarmsbecausehismothertookthenotorious sedative Thalidomideduringpregnancy.

An agreeablydisheveledandshamblingpresence on screen, von Glasow comesacrosslike a lesspreachyMichael Moore. Bymakinghimselfpartofthestory, he enrichesthe film withhisownlifeexperience, but also withdeadpancharmandirreverenthumor. Combining high productionvalues, majority English dialogueand a Paralympicthemethatremainsnewsworthy – forgoodandbadreasons –My Way to Olympiahasreadymadeappeal on thefestivalcircuit. Withtheatricalreleasealreadylinedup in Germany, overseasdistributorsmayseeniche potential here. But televisionsaleslookmorelikely.

Von Glasow travelstheworldtomeethissubjects. The mostseverelydisabledisGreekbocciachampionGreg Polychronidis,paralyzedfromthe neck down by spinal muscularatrophy. Others he meets lost limbs in war zones, includingtheRwandansittingbasketballteamandtheone-armedtabletennisplayerAida Husic Dahlen, a Bosnianrefugeeraised in Norway. The US archerMatt Stutzmanwas bornwith a similarbirthdefecttothedirector, allowingthemtotradecompetitivedisplaysofmanualdexterity. Slow-motion footageofStutzman in action, usinghisfeettooperate a speciallyadaptedbow, isstunning.

The directorlayshiscards on thetablefromtheopening. “Basically I thinksportssuck,” he proclaims, “andtheParalympicsis a stupid idea.” This deliberatelyprovocativepositionsoftens a littleoverthecourseofthe film, but von Glasow neversuccumbstothe sentimental boosterismthatsomemediacommentatorsheaped on last year’s London games. He showsustriumphandeuphoria, but also thehardsacrificesmadebyOlympiansandtheirfamilies, andtheharrowing emotional costoffailure. Nor does he shyawayfromtouchyquestionsaboutsex, depression, angerand - in thecaseofPolychronidis – the strong possibilityofearlydeath.

All the same,My Way to Olympiais a muchstronger film foraddressingtheseuncomfortablethemes. Theythrowthescenesofsportingsuccessintosharperrelief, andlend extra forcetotheoverallcelebratory sense ofvictoryoversteepodds. Itisnospoilertorevealthat, whilesomeoftheseathletesleave London tearfulandempty-handed, othersgohomewithmedals. Von Glasow isneverquiteconvertedtotheParalympiccause, but hismischievous sense ofhumorremainsintact. His working title forthe film, he quipsasthecredits roll, isTriumph ofthe Will Part 2.

Productioncompany: If… Productions,PalladioFilm, Senator Film,WDR,NDR,SWR

Producer:IngoFleiss

Cast:NikovonGlasow, AidaHusicDahlen, GregPolychronidis,ChristianeReppe, MattStutzman

Director:NikovonGlasow

Cinematographer:HajoSchomerus

Editors:MechthildBarth, BernhardReddig

Editor: FalkMoller

Salescompany: If… Productions, Munich

Rating:TBC, 85 minutes