Who becomes a champion and how do they do it? Aiming to find an answer to these questions, documentary filmmaker Gabe Polsky interviews Pelé, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, and other outstanding athletes.
Some of the greatest athletes of our time, such as the hockey player Wayne Gretzky, American footballer Jerry Rice, boxer Rocky Marciano, footballer Pelé, tennis player Roger Federer, and others, appear as genuine demi-gods—people with ideal bodies, who are able to break any kind of records and whose life seems to be a chain of triumphs and awards. But what enabled them to achieve this level of success: was it a specific sport gene, a commitment to follow a certain scheme of regulations, or their pushy parents?
Addressing the question of how to become a great athlete, director Gabe Polsky’s documentary In Search of Greatness comes to a conclusion both logical and unexpected at the same time: greatness is something seen from a distance, while each record is produced by a particular personality. Shown from the inside, the story of each champion turns out to be a series of challenges, failures, and triumphs, a struggle with oneself as much as the outer world. But if you really love what you do and surrender to it entirely, success will be waiting for you.
The picture received the special prize of the Moscow International Film Festival awarded by the festivals’ official sponsor, Okko online cinema.
After the screening, the audience will be able to attend free training sessions at Nike Box in Gorky Park.
In Search of Greatness
Director Gabe Polsky
USA, 2019, 77 min. 16+
