The Best That Never Was
Similar Movies
This Was the XFL(en)
A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies -- NBC and WWE -- captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.
Life in 24 Hours(lt)
One of the most successful ultrarunners of all time Lithuanian Aleksandr Sorokin talks about challenges, emotions and thoughts running 24h in World Championship in Verona, Italy. He openly describes the hardest moments of his attempt to break 24h running world record. That is one of the rare moments when elite athlete talks about weaknesses and pressure he feels every day and how he cope with it.
The Endless Summer(en)
Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.
Bull Jumping(fr)
Little known on this side of the pond, “course landaise” consists of confronting a bull and dodging his powerful charge by way of acrobatic somersault. French athlete Emmanuel Lataste is the first to try to garner attention in North America for this extreme sport.
Hands of God(ar)
Thirteen years of war. Dozens of car bombings every month. One goal: to become an Olympic champion. The true story of grit and determination, of young men literally fighting for their lives one day on the battlefields of Iraq and competing to fight for their Nation the next one. Despite living under the persistent threat of ISIS, these athletes will strive to accomplish their task. The amazing journey of the Iraq National Team from obscurity and desperation to the edge of an historical qualification to Rio 2016. Will private Waheed be able to manage his army duty with his desire to go to the Games? Is young Jafaar ready to aspire to the Olympic stage he has been dreaming of, despite living in the most dangerous suburb in the world? Will promising heavyweight Saadi come back from his mission to liberate Falluja? Will Iraq finally be a peaceful Country?
Les Sirènes d’Ukraine(fr)
In February 2022, in Kharkiv, twin sisters Maryna and Vladyslava Alexiiva had to flee in the middle of the night under the bombs. In extremis, they take with them their bronze medals, won in Tokyo a year earlier in synchronized swimming. They took refuge in Italy for six months, then decided to return to Ukraine to reunite with their team. From then on, they were obsessed with a single goal: to win the gold medal in Paris in 2024.
¡Al fútbol!(es)
Any given Sunday of 1974 in Spain, soccer games in several stadiums, the sarcastic voice of commentators, the inevitable presence of advertising. Goal! The victors and the defeated.
Fisticuffs(en)
This Pete Smith Specialty short showcases former heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer with various sparring partners in the ring. Slow motion is used to illustrate how Baer uses his skills.
38 at the Garden(en)
In a hostile time for Asian Americans, the revisiting of an unlikely athlete's story 10 years later gives hope and shatters stereotypes on sport's biggest stage.
100 Years of Australian Football(en)
Based on the book published the same year, 100 Years of Australian Football explores the 100 year past of Australia's national game. Covering the history of the Victorian/Australian Football League covering the period 1897 to 1996, the documentary is an exhilarating chronicle, including lively reporting and analysis of the big issues and stirring accounts of the legendary players, teams and coaches.
Holy Surf! - Once Upon a Wave(fr)
The history of surfing is like one long ride in which surfers relay the baton to each other across the years on a single, endless wave. In order to understand how this ancestral Polynesian tradition was able to span the globe and the eras until it became a competitive sport and eventually won a place at the Olympics, we’ll plunge into its history through the exceptional stories of those who allowed it to survive and be reinvented.
The Williams(es)
Many migrants live in search of a mirror in which to recognize themselves; they are not from here, but they are not from there either. Los Williams / The Williams, a feature-length documentary, familiar and sporting, told in first-person by Iñaki and Nico Williams. Two brothers, footballers, Basques and "beltzas" or black, of Ghanaian descent, reveal their incredible tale across the two most crucial years of their lives. From their historic participation in the Qatar World Cup with two different selections, to the long-awaited victory of the Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey after 40 years, and Nico's triumph at the European Championship. Two international stars, face to face with their past and their future, through the conflicts that have marked their lives: racism, identity, frustration, ambition, and success.
VIVA - The opening Ceremony Documentary of Rio 2016(pt)
For the first time ever, experience the work of a nation as it host the world and puts on a show like never before.
Monumental: Skiing Our National Parks(en)
A ski film unlike any other, Monumental: Skiing Our National Parks celebrates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by paying homage to these monuments of nature and solitude, reminding us skiers where we came from, and that we belong to something greater than ourselves. Follow contemporary explorers through the lens of KGB Productions with skiers Andy Mahre, Lynsey Dyer, Griffin Post, Colter Hinchliffe, Kalen Thorien, Greg Hill, Max Hammer, and Connery Lundin at Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Glacier National Park, and Olympic National Park.
In a Whisper(nl)
Dans un Souffle traces Belgian figure skater Nina Pinzarrone's fragile yet unyielding pursuit of perfection. In blank and white, the audience is guided through fleeting shapes and expressions, exploring the quiet pain behind her graceful facade. Guided by Nina’s breath and silence, this documentary takes you on an ephemeral journey as she prepares for her first World Championship at the age of 17.
Broken Kids: The Untold Story of Young Athletes(fr)
Recent scandals have revealed the brutal methods often imposed on young top athletes. Fueled by numerous testimonies, this damning investigation reveals the workings of a system which sacrifices children in the name of economic interests and glory.
Recommendations Movies
The Class of ‘92(en)
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Cristiano Ronaldo: World at His Feet(en)
Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at His Feet follows the footballer from his beginnings in Portugal, breakthrough start with Manchester United and current career at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo(en)
Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.
More than a Game(en)
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
The Final: Attack on Wembley(en)
As England reach the final of the Euros at last, 6,000 ticketless football fans storm Wembley stadium, leaving destruction in their wake.
Diego Maradona(en)
Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.
Naqoyqatsi(en)
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder(en)
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me(en)
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Williams(en)
This sports documentary tells the story of the Williams Formula 1 team founded by the legendary Sir Frank Williams
Generation Iron 2(en)
From the director of Generation Iron, comes the anticipated sequel that will depict 5 of the top bodybuilding and fitness mega-stars on a quest of achieving the ultimate physique and taking it to the next extreme level. In the world of social media and internet, the rules have changed as to what makes an iconic bodybuilding mass-monster. Starring Kai Greene, Calum Von Moger, Rich Piana, among others, this film will explore an all new generation of bodybuilders and how this new world, and new people, carve their own path to physique perfection.
Audible(en)
Football player Amaree McKenstry-Hall and his Maryland School for the Deaf teammates attempt to defend their winning streak while coming to terms with the tragic loss of a close friend.
Stephen Curry: Underrated(en)
The remarkable coming-of-age story of Stephen Curry—one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in basketball history—and his rise from an undersized college player to a four-time NBA champion.
O.J.: Made in America(en)
A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
Champs(en)
A documentary about the sport of boxing, as seen through the eyes of champions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins.
Tyson(en)
Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tyson--almost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.
You Cannot Kill David Arquette(en)
Following his infamous championship as part of a marketing stunt for the film Ready to Rumble, David Arquette is widely known as the most hated man in pro-wrestling worldwide. Nearly 20 years after he "won" the initial title, through ups and downs in his career, with his family, and with his struggles with addiction, David Arquette seeks redemption by returning to the ring...for real this time.
Lionel Messi: Destiny(en)
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.