by Gill Pringle
Many of the actors starring in September 5 weren’t even born when the events surrounding the Munich Summer Olympics massacre of 1972 took place.
Shining a poignant light on that tragic day, when 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and subsequently killed by the Palestinian group Black September, director Tim Fehlbaum believes that it is important to re-tell this story now more than ever. And Hollywood seems to agree, with Paramount pushing the film’s chances of Awards Season love.
Directed with a focus on humanising the victims and contextualising the tragedy, September 5 weaves together the personal stories of the athletes, the international political climate of the time, and the failures of the security response.
Its relevance today lies in its exploration of the intersections of terrorism, geopolitics, and the enduring human cost.
September 5 also unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news to this day.
The film painstakingly follows the ABC Sports broadcasting team, who quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage.
“The Munich Olympic attack on September 5, 1972, was a tragic event with profound political implications,” says Tim Fehlbaum [left]. “The live broadcasts on this day marked a turning point in media reporting, bringing a new dimension to how such incidents are seen and understood by the public.
“When the attack begins, a team of American sports reporters are suddenly responsible for the subsequent 22 hours of live coverage, switching their responsibilities from sporting events to geopolitics. I was interested in the unprecedented situation that the media faced: this was the first time an event of this nature was covered by a live broadcast.
“During our research with ABC journalists who were on the ground, we learned details about what they experienced in that control room, and early on, we decided to narrate our film purely from this angle, from the viewpoint of the coverage. We are constantly in the TV studio, almost like in a chamber play.
“This focus seemed especially relevant in today’s world: with the advent of live streaming and the instant availability of images and videos, the ways in which events are processed have changed dramatically. Images wield enormous influence – they shape public opinion, mobilise people, and can even drive political decisions,” says the Swiss director who was inspired by Kevin Macdonald’s documentary One Day in September, which takes a forensic look at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Paul Greengrass’s film United 93, which told the story of the tragic flight of September 11 in real time.
At the heart of September 5 is John Magaro’s Geoff, a young ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge played by Peter Sarsgaard.
With the help of German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and Geoff’s mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), the story focuses on the intricate details of the broadcast capabilities of the time, juxtaposed against the many lives at stake and the moral decisions that needed to be made against an impossible ticking clock. Benjamin Walker also does a great job as legendary US TV anchor Peter Jennings.
Sarsgaard was fascinated by the many questions raised in the script. “It’s the question of whether or not some people, who are thousands of miles away, should be covering the story, who are more experienced, or if some very well-intentioned, sincere sportscasters who are close to the event should be covering it. I guess Roone had a certain amount of ambition, but I think it also made sense. I love where he says, ‘They can tell us what it all means later. We’re just going to cover it’,” says the actor.
“In other words, that part of being a journalist is just an accumulation of facts, just going, ‘This seemed to have happened. This seemed to have happened. This seemed to have happened’, and leave the analysis for later. One of the things that I was really struck by with Tim, was that he was quite a good journalist, that his approach to this was he was a guy who went into this material, found the story that presented itself, not the one that he set about wanting to tell. This became the obvious way to tell the story,” says Sarsgaard.
Most of the actors were cooped up together day after day reenacting scenes in the news teams’ makeshift TV studio.
“It’s predominately a one-location movie. They do come with a certain Groundhog Day repetitiveness,” acknowledges Ben Chaplin.
“And they will make you go crazy because you’re spending 12 hours a day for weeks in there with the same people. It’s not as exciting as it looks when you’re doing it 50 times. And we had a lotta smoke,” adds the actor alluding to the fact that many of the news team are chain-smokers.
At its core, September 5 is a stark reminder of the fragility of international events as spaces for unity and peace. The 1972 Olympics in Munich was meant to symbolise a new Germany, shedding the shadow of its Nazi past and projecting a message of global harmony. Instead, the games became a backdrop for a horrific act of violence that underscored the deep divisions and unresolved conflicts in the Middle East.
The parallels with today’s ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not lost on audiences, urging viewers to reflect on how history can inform current strategies for fostering peace and preventing future tragedies.
September 5 also highlights the human stories often overshadowed by the headlines. The athletes are portrayed not merely as victims but as individuals with hopes, families, and dreams. By focusing on personal stories, the film calls for a greater emphasis on empathy and the recognition of shared humanity, even in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
Not just a retelling of a historical event; it is a call to action. By examining the Munich massacre through a contemporary lens, the film challenges audiences to confront the complexities of terrorism, the human cost of political conflict, and the urgent need for solutions that honour the values of justice and humanity.
September 5 is in cinemas on 6 February 2025
