“GOING FOR GOLD” NAMED BEST OLYMPICS-THEMED FILM
The winners of the 41st Paladino D’oro Sport Film Festival were announced in Palermo. The award for the best Olympics-themed film went to Ksawery Szczepanik.
Paladino D’oro Sport Film Festival is a unique event – and one of the oldest of its kind in the world – that combines sports rivalry and passion for art. The program of the Italian festival features sports films from all over the globe. These productions come in various forms; some are professional, others were made by amateurs. They aren't bound by genre conventions – all that matters is cinema and a passion for selected disciplines.
This year a Polish production has received an invitation. Going for Gold by Ksawery Szczepanik left Palermo with an award for the best Olympics-themed film.
Going for Gold tells the story of legendary Polish pole vaulter Władysław Kozakiewicz. It's the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Kozakiewicz is in a fierce competition with the USSR representative in front of millions of viewers. He wins the gold medal in the finals and breaks the world record but – upset by the hostile Soviet crowd – he shows an unsportsmanlike, offensive gesture. His bras d'honneur is considered a political provocation and the life of our athlete changes overnight. In Soviet-dominated Poland Kozakiewicz becomes… a national hero, gaining enormous popularity and influence. However, when he experiences a slump in performance, he's caught by sports activists faithful to the communist regime. Will the beloved pole vaulter manage to get back to the top?
You can watch the trailer here.
For more information about the festival, visit its official website.