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Jim Plunkett never backed down from adversity. Despite being a major high school recruit, Plunkett’s freshman year at Stanford was a letdown, and his coach tried to replace him at quarterback. He refused to be taken out and eventually became a standout at Stanford, winning the Rose Bowl and Heisman his senior year. The start to his pro career was not very different from his turn in college, starting off slow, being traded to several teams, and eventually landing a backup position with the Raiders. It was only when the starting quarterback got injured that Plunkett was thrust into the role, and ended up leading the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories.
On June 11, 2013, Sebastien de la Cruz stepped onto center court, dressed in his traditional mariachi charro suit, to sing the national anthem before Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. Sebastien’s performance ignited racial tweets and hate-filled comments, but when he returned for Game 4 to sing once again, the cheers in the stands turned from “Go Spurs Go” to “Go Sebastien Go!”
Jennifer Bricker excels in many sports, but her first love was gymnastics. Inspired by Romanian gymnast Dominique Moceanu, part of the 1996 Olympic gold-medalist team, Jennifer became a state champion and Junior Olympian in tumbling despite being born without legs. And when Jennifer turned 16, her adoptive parents revealed that Dominique Moceanu was more than just her hero.
Figure skater Surya Bonaly is most remembered for her amazing one-bladed back flip at the 1998 Winter Olympics, being the only skater to ever complete one in competition at the Olympics. Despite landing the flip on one skate, the judges ruled the move illegal. Bonaly did not medal, but the champion did go out on her own terms, a true “Rebel on Ice.”
Manute Bol stood tall at 7'7. But it's what he stood FOR that defined him.
The moment where American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved hands in defiance on the podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics is one of the most memorable images in sports history. But there is a third man in the photo, the white Australian who finished second to Smith and ahead of Carlos in the 200 meters. His name is Peter Norman, and he stands in quiet solidarity with them. Norman’s story is retold in this film with passion and perspective.
Jacques Peretti sets out to find out what happened to the game that obsessed him as a kid. In this documentary, he presents an eye-opening account of the sport's heady popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.
Thirty four years after his father, Nico Rosberg, followed in Keke's footsteps to become Formula 1 World Champion, creating only the second father-son pairing to win the title alongside Graham and Damon Hill. It was a fight that swung back and forth between the two main protagonists. Nico kicked off the season with four consecutive wins while Lewis was slow off the mark thanks to bad starts and poor reliability. Team relations were pushed to the limit as the drivers' rivalry stepped up a gear. With clashes both on and off track, their ruthless pursuit of the title left their relationship in tatters. The drama went down to the final round in Abu Dhabi. Lewis had nothing to lose while Nico had to keep his cool.
Anecdotes and testimonials about the performance of Argentina in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The whole story behind the Cup.
Featuring new, previously unseen footage documenting the bizarre and unsettling things that happened to filmmakers David Farrier and Dylan Reeve as Tickled premiered at film festivals and theaters in 2016. Lawsuits, private investigators, disrupted screenings and surprise appearances are just part of what they encounter along the way. Amidst new threats, the duo begins to answer questions that remained once the credits rolled on Tickled, including whether the disturbing behavior they uncovered will ever come to an end.
VISION is a film about inclusivity, standing alongside your heroes and redefining the status quo. VISION blends the creative worlds of Veronique Sandler in a coming together of art, design and sport. Veronique Sandler, a former World Cup racer, has paved her own way in the mountain bike industry away from competition. This is a film about her VISION for the future of a sport. Taking inspiration from the streets, dirt jumping and freeride, this action focused documentary follows Veronique’s journey alongside her heroes as she brings her VISION to life. Working in partnership with Revolution Bike Park in Wales, UK. Together they made a dream a reality. Starring Veronique Sandler and a collective of the best riders from around the world.
Wrestlers Shane Douglas and Chris Candino make their debuts in this television premiere of the XPW Wrestling League -- a concentrated explosion of hardcore wrestling action culminating in the XPW World Championship. Prepare for excitement in the ring from such intrepid fighters as Big Dick Dudley, Homeless Jimmy, "White Trash" Johnny Webb, Kristi Myst, Lizzy Borden, Supreme and the Messiah.
Through interviews with key figures and previously unseen period images, the story of the 1982 World Cup and the Italian national team, seen also from a private perspective, is contrasted with that of a country led by President Sandro Pertini.
From a vast record of 750 days, 5000 hours, Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 SIDE A and SIDE B are the official documentaries by Naomi Kawase capturing not only the athletes gathered from all over the world, but also their families, people involved in the Games, volunteers, medical personnel, and protesters shouting for the cancellation of the Olympics.
Despite being blocked at almost every turn in pursuit of the sport he loved, Seve Ballesteros fought against adversity to become the most spectacular and charismatic golfer to ever play the game.
A touching story of friendship, struggle and triumph, the film follows the journey of two Somali national soccer team friends chasing their dreams in the face of impossible odds. After surviving two decades of war, Saadiq, 17, and Sa’ad, 19, the team’s most promising stars, enter the only televised match of the year hoping scouts will be watching. With passports of no value on the world stage, soccer may be their only shot to escape a growing terror threat, persecution and poverty. Against the backdrop of fear and shared sacrifice, they embark on separate but equally improbable journeys. In the opportunity of a lifetime, Saadiq sets off for America with dreams of an education and a soccer career. Sa’ad continues his career in Mogadishu with the hopes of someday being reunited with his friend. Their biggest dream is shared – to be symbols of hope to generations who have only known war.
This documentary showcases basketball player Michael Jordan's awe-inspiring moves, providing behind-the-scenes and on-the-court action, including footage of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls going head-to-head against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. Phil Jackson and Bob Costas are interviewed (among others), and the awesome soundtrack includes songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, Fatboy Slim and Freddie King.
Details the intense rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche in the 90’s
For 2009, MSP Films takes an original look at the sport of skiing. All of the skiers in the film—park rat or big mountain charger—share a common bond: the overwhelming desires to ski. Each person finds stoke in his own unique way, whether it be a double cork 1260, a deep turn on a storm day or ripping a giant AK line. Skiing is an incredibly diverse sport that offers it all. With the progressive skiing and award-winning cinematography that has made MSP famous, MSP Films takes you along for the ride deep into the experience as we share the love for the greatest sport in the world.
A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.
An inspirational story about the power of hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, and an object lesson in what it really means to be a winner in life.
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.
An uplifting story of the passion and drive it takes to succeed and the power of family to help realize your dreams.
Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.
A heartfelt documentary focusing on the day-to-day lives of professional wrestlers, some on the rise, some on the wane, and others fighting for their lives.
This documentary spotlights one of the most contentious deals in football history and the extraordinary player at the center of the storm: Luís Figo.
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball is the definitive story of the greatest football team ever assembled. For four explosive years, Pep Guardiola's Barça produced the greatest football in history, seducing fans around the world. In this exclusive, first-hand account of events between 2008 and 2012, the players themselves reveal the tension of the bitter Guardiola-Mourinho rivalry, the emotion of Abidal's fight back from cancer to lift the European Cup and how Messi, the best footballer the world's ever seen, was almost rejected by Barça as a 13-year-old.
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.
Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.
As boxing's popularity wanes, three fighters at different stages of their career make sacrifices to pursue their dreams of becoming champions.
Sergei Polunin is a breathtaking ballet talent who questions his existence and his commitment to dance just as he is about to become a legend.
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.
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.
In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.
A journey inside the world of real life caped crusaders. From all over America, these self-proclaimed crime fighters, don masks, homemade costumes and elaborate utility belts in an attempt to bring justice to evildoers everywhere.
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
This documentary follows superstar Bret Hart during his last year in the WWF. The film documents the tensions that resulted in The Montreal Screwjob, one of the most controversial events in the history of professional wrestling, in which Vince McMahon, Shawn Micheals, and others, legitimately conspired behind the scenes to go against the script and remove Bret Hart as champion.
A former fighter reluctantly returns to the life she abandoned in order to help her sister survive the sadistic world of illegal fighting and the maniac who runs it.