An Olympic summer time all the time triggers a minor deluge of athletics documentaries and books. Netflix is hogging the headlines proper now with its sequence on sprinters. There are two upcoming documentaries on Channel 4 specializing in British Olympic and Paralympic hopes. Daley Thompson and Linford Christie are additionally set to function in documentaries.
Sizzling on their heels is a brand new movie about masters athletics. Out on Friday (July 5) in a specific cinema launch, it focuses on 4 feminine veteran athletes and known as Youthful: Wanting Ahead To Getting Older.
The 55-minute movie focuses on sprinter W85 sprinter Dot Fraser, W70 sprinter Joylyn Saunders-Mullins, W75 race walker and runner Noel Blatchford and W70 pole vaulter Sue Yeomans.
The documentary opens with Joylyn getting out her appreciable assortment of medals and trophies. “That is my life!” she proudly says.
Produced by Danielle Sellwood and Alex Rotas, the documentary then speaks to the athletes and their coaches, giving an perception into what drives them to proceed pushing their our bodies when most individuals the identical age are completely happy to cool down on the couch to look at tv.
(Danielle Sanderson)
This can be a world the place the coaches are sometimes youthful than the athletes; the place getting older and shifting into a brand new age group is definitely celebrated and one thing to sit up for; and the place coronary heart issues, strokes and most cancers are simply as frequent as hamstring pulls and calf strains.
Dot and Noel have suffered strokes, as an example, nevertheless it doesn’t cease them pursuing their ardour of athletics. Sue has had most cancers twice however feels enthused about shifting into a brand new age group for over-70s the place she shall be among the many youngest in her class.
The documentary has discovered consideration within the nationwide media already, too, with the Guardian saying: “All the topics listed below are spry, inspiringly energetic, and articulate about what athletics means to them, which makes them the proper topics for an uplifting watch.”
The documentary producers say: “For these girls, masters athletics is greater than a sport; it’s a supply of neighborhood, private achievement, and a testomony to dwelling a life filled with journey and pleasure. Via their tales, the movie presents a strong counter-narrative to the customarily adverse stereotypes related to ageing.
(Alex Rotas)
“It additionally gives a contemporary perspective on the worth and vitality of an lively older inhabitants. As societies across the globe grapple with the implications of an ageing demographic, this documentary highlights the significance of inclusivity and challenges the portrayal of older people as inactive or disempowered.”
The 4 athletes chosen are sensible decisions and so they inform their tales fantastically because the characters are developed throughout the movie. By the tip we’re invested of their journey and eager to understand how they’ve progressed.
(Alex Rotas)
If you would like glamour, superstar and bravado, then tune into the Netflix sequence Dash. However Youthful: Wanting Ahead To Getting Older is unquestionably value your time and it’s possible you’ll discover it simply as fulfilling and much more relatable, particularly in case you are an ageing athlete your self.
Cinema showings all through the UK will be discovered right here.
» For extra AW information, CLICK HERE
