Like the organizers of the Paris Games, the Naudet brothers aim to “revolutionize” the way the official film of the Games is made by sticking as close as possible to the human. And who knows, they will also manage, at the same time, to change their image a little as “disaster brothers”.
It’s a little-known Olympic tradition, even though it’s over 100 years old. The first, and often the only one that inevitably comes to mind, is the darkest of all.
Cold and spectacular, the Nazi propaganda film The gods of the stadium (Berlin, 1936), by Leni Riefenstahl, was a celebration of nations and athletes presented as superhuman heroes. But there have been more than fifty others, on both summer and winter Games, some of them directed by big names in cinema, such as Kon Ichikawa (Tokyo 1964), Miloš Forman (Munich 1972), Claude Lelouch (Grenoble 1968) and Carlos Saura (Barcelona 1992). At the Montreal Games in 1976, it was Jean-Claude Labrecque who was entrusted with this mission.
At this year’s Paris Games, that task will fall to brothers Jules and Gédéon Naudet. The Franco-American filmmakers made their name with their astonishing documentary on the attack on the World Trade Center, simply titled 9/11which won two Emmy Awards among others. They have repeated the feat with other dark subjects, such as the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Paris by the Naudet brothers), the assault on the Capitol in Washington (January 6th), but especially the terrorist attacks at the Bataclan (November 13. fluctuat NEC mergitur).
“The Naudet brothers were chosen for their ability to tell historical stories with a deeply human and authentic sensitivity,” explained International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach when their names were revealed in late spring.
To end the “disaster brothers”
“Since 9/11, we’ve been a bit of a prisoner of our trauma, of our obsessions about resilience and how to repair ourselves,” Gédéon noted during an interview with the directors at the end of July. “The Games are more positive, full of beautiful emotions. It’s going to help us move away from our label of ‘disaster brothers.’ If we could have, we would have turned it into a musical,” he adds, deadpan.
We should not be fooled by the recent unveiling of their identity as directors of the official film of the Games. The main parties concerned have been thinking about it and preparing for it for three and a half years. What struck them when viewing the work of those who preceded them was how most of them stuck to a sort of summary of the Games in the form of a collage of the major protocol and sporting moments. “There was a lack of emotional investment.”
The two fifty-somethings do not say they are particularly passionate about sports. “What fascinates us,” says Jules, “are these human beings who manage to surpass themselves and achieve unique, incredible things. And then, sport has this power to make us forget reality and unite people at a time when we really need it. That’s the magic of sport.”
Inspired by the bold vision of the Paris Games organizers to hold their events as often as possible outside the stadiums and as close as possible to the historic heart of Paris, the directors have promised to “revolutionize”, in their turn, the way of making the official film of the Games.
This will be done in three ways, they explain. One: they will pay special attention to the behind-the-scenes of this global event that we do not know as well as we think.
Two: they will not just shoot a 90 or 120 minute documentary, they will accompany it with a series of four other documentaries of about an hour each, three on the preparation for the Games and one on its conclusion.
Three: they will do all this very, very quickly. While we often have to wait a year or two for the official film of the Games to be released, the first three documentaries on the preparation of the Games were presented on French television just before the opening ceremony, and the fourth will come a few days after the closing of the Games. As for the official film, we should be able to see it before the end of the year.
“Monstrous” challenge
” It’s a challenge “monstrous,” confirms Gideon. It involves up to five film crews being on location at the same time and not waiting until all the footage is in before editing begins.
In recent years, there has been a craze for sports documentary series. Whether they are about Formula 1, the Tour de France or tennis, these series do not have to follow nearly 330 events spread over less than 20 days.
It also requires a huge amount of planning and many cruel choices so as not to spread yourself too thin and ultimately miss what you are really trying to film. “The Games are too big and happening in too many places at the same time to not have to think very hard, make choices and then take responsibility for them,” explains Jules. “Who will be the few people we will follow?” [On se base] a bit on the principle that to tell the big story, you have to tell lots of little stories.”
These people we will follow will not only be athletes. “It is very difficult to put yourself in the shoes of an athlete,” notes Gédéon. “We sometimes do it better through the eyes of their parents, their children or their coach.”
What is certain is that we will see these people where we are not used to seeing them, and very close. “The camera will never be more than 1.5 meters from its subject,” he says. “And our teams will have access to places where no other camera will be able to go.”
The happy accident
For the rest, you have to trust the work of thought and planning that has been done as well as luck, says Jules. “At the heart of any documentary, there is this idea of the happy accident when an incredible event, an extraordinary human moment occurs and you are there to capture it because you have done the necessary work to be in the right place at the right time.”
Then it will all be played out in the editing room, Gideon said. “Where we will go from ecstasy to terror.”