TIM FEHLBAUM | GERMANY | 2024 | 94 MIN | ENGLISH, GERMAN
This taut, thought-provoking historical thriller takes viewers behind the scenes as a TV news team scrambles to cover the unfolding hostage situation at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Thinking that they’re only in Munich to cover athletics, the ABC Sports team must pivot rapidly once shots ring out at the Olympic Village, just a few blocks from their headquarters. Soon unseasoned young producer Geoff (John Magaro) is tasked with a job that’s far beyond his expertise: figuring out how to broadcast the events in real time to the American people. What Geoff lacks in experience he makes up for in ambition, and he’s determined to prove himself to his boss, veteran executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). With the help of German translator Marianne (Leonie Benesch, PFF32’s The Teachers’ Lounge), Geoff and his intrepid team devise innovative, risky methods of getting closer to the story as it unfolds, although their ingenious tactics have unintended consequences. September 5 is a fascinating look at the lengths that dedicated TV journalists went to in order to get their story in a pre-smartphone era of bulky cameras and film reels, and an insightful, troubling examination of an event that dramatically reshaped the way we experience the news.
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch
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