The Games via Documentaries

I am a big fan of the Olympics, whether it be the Winter Games or the Summer Games. I find myself checking out resources from the library to fill that Olympic void during the Games’ off years. Even when the Games are about to start, I revisit the the library’s catalog for materials in anticipation of the opening ceremonies. Just focusing on feature films alone, there are myriad great choices with an Olympic theme, such as historical sports dramas (Chariots of Fire, 1981), biopics (I. Tonya, 2017) or just good ol’ entertaining fictional stories of Olympic glory (The Cutting Edge, 1992).

There is a certain section of films, however, that I had forgotten about. Recently, Mercer County Library System celebrated Library Shelfie Day. Staff members posed in front of their favorite shelves in the library for photos to be posted with the tag #LibraryShelfieDay via MCLS’ social media accounts (e.g., Instagram and Facebook). I participated in the library system’s social media campaign by sharing selections from shelves of non-fiction films, which contain documentaries. I was reminded of the various documentary films related to the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games that MCLS has available to our patrons.

MCLS’ documentary collection contains materials about the history of the Olympics, the evolution of different competitions, detailed accounts of specific athletes’ lives, historical moments surrounding the Olympics, etc. Take a look at the following selection of documentaries to get you started:

The Boys of ‘36 (2016)
In 1936, nine boys from the University of Washington took the rowing world and a nation by storm, when their eight-oar crew team captured the gold medal at the Olympics in Berlin. The boys' victory, and their obstacles, inspired a nation struggling to emerge from the depths of the Depression.

The Crash Reel (2013)
The epic rivalry between half-pipe legends Kevin Pearce and Shaun White is documented in this exhilarating ride into the world of extreme snowboarding. With both practicing more and more breathtaking and dangerous tricks leading up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, everything suddenly changes for Kevin when a horrific crash leaves him fighting for his life. When he recovers, all he wants to do is get on his snowboard again, even though medics and family fear it could kill him.

Do You Believe in Miracles? (2001)
Presents the story of the U.S. Olympic hockey team's victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics and demonstrates the importance of motivation in any area of achievement.

I am Bolt (2016)
Documentary on the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt. With archive footage of his youth in Jamaica, reveals the man and defines the legacy of this incredible athlete.

Ice Warriors (2014)
This powerful, uplifting one-hour documentary, on PBS, follows the USA Paralympic Sled Hockey team as they prepare for the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi.

Murderball (2005)
A film about tough, highly competitive quadriplegic rugby players. These men have been forced to live life sitting down, but in their own version of the full-contact sport, they smash each other in custom-made gladiator-like wheelchairs. Tells the story of a group of world-class athletes unlike any ever shown on screen.

On Thin Ice (2021)
Jack Brooks escaped the pogroms in 1923 and went on to become one of the premier speed skaters of interwar America. He skated with the U.S. Olympic team, and traveled to Lake Placid in 1932 for the III Olympic Winter Games. But his dream was cut short. Singled out because of the religion he practiced and the place he called home, the 'speedster from Poland' became a spectator on the sidelines. This is the story of his life, and the lives of the men and women who came after him. This is a testament to their collective fight for fairness, and to the abiding spirit that sport can and should advance greater understanding of oneself and each other.

The Real Olympics (2004)
To mark the Olympics' 2004 return to its birthplace of Athens, this series tells the 'real' story of the original games. It combines lavish reconstructions of the ancient Greek games with dramatic highlights from the modern Olympics.

Snow Blind (2010)
Covers the birth of snowboarding, the evolution that turned it into an Olympic sport, and the passionate participants, thrill seekers, and competitors that make it the most extreme of counter-cultures. Portrays eight unique stories, including the triumphs of a 90-year old snowboard legend, the struggles of adaptive, handicapped riders, and the danger of the back-country. Also documents the everyday enthusiast, the top pros in the world, the most extreme riders, the marketers, manufacturers, and the passion behind all of them.

With Drawn Arms (2021)
Tommie Smith, the gold medalist who is known for raising his fist after accepting a medal at the '68 Olympic games in protest of racial inequality, looks back 50 years to the moment that helped define a movement and changed the course of his life forever.

- By Anna Van Scoyoc, Hopewell Branch