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100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012

Spanning fifty-three movies and forty-one editions of the Olympic Games, 100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012 is the culmination of a monumental, award-winning archival project encompassing dozens of new restorations by the International Olympic Committee. The documentaries collected here cast a cinematic eye on some of the most iconic moments in the history of modern sports, spotlighting athletes who embody the Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger”: Jesse Owens shattering world records on the track in 1936 Berlin, Jean-Claude Killy dominating the Grenoble slopes in 1968, Joan Benoit breaking away to win the Games’ first women’s marathon in Los Angeles in 1984.

51 movies 1924 – 2017 99h 36m total 6 snapshots 144 solvers

Movies in this collection

The IX Olympiad in Amsterdam

A documentary on the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Made by Istituto Luce, there is an understandable focus on Italian athletes, but it is the first Olympic documentary that describes the techniques of certain events.

Jugend der Welt. Der Film von den IV. Olympischen Winterspielen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Jugend der Welt. Der Film von den IV. Olympischen Winterspielen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

This Nazi propaganda film covers the 1936 Winter Olympics that were held in Germany.

Kultaa ja kunniaa
Kultaa ja kunniaa

Kultaa ja kunniaa

1953 1h 37m Dir. Hannu Leminen

A second part of a documentary covering the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.

Hästen i centrum
Hästen i centrum

Hästen i centrum

1956 16m

A documentary covering the equestrian events of 1956 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

Olympic Games: 1956
Olympic Games: 1956

Olympic Games: 1956

1956 1h Dir. Peter Whitchurch

A documentary covering the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne and Stockholm.

Vertigine bianca
Vertigine bianca

Vertigine bianca

1956 1h 36m Dir. Giorgio Ferroni

A documentary covering the 1956 Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Rendez-vous à Melbourne
Rendez-vous à Melbourne

Rendez-vous à Melbourne

1957 1h 46m Dir. René Lucot

Rendez-Vous a Melbourne is the official filmed record of the 1956 Olympic Games in Australia. At the time of its release, there was much controversy in the documentary-filmmaking world over the fact that the Aussies signed over exclusive distribution rights to a French firm, resulting in a boycott from other movie companies.

Alain Mimoun
Alain Mimoun

Alain Mimoun

1959 24m Dir. Louis Gueguen

A documentary about French marathon runner Alain Mimoun at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

La grande olimpiade
La grande olimpiade

La grande olimpiade

1961 2h 22m Dir. Romolo Marcellini

Events and athletes that characterized the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. From the absolute protagonist Wilma Rudolph, called the black gazelle, to Livio Berruti, the first white to win the 200 meters, to the deeds of Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who won the marathon racing barefoot.

Tôkyô orimpikku
Tôkyô orimpikku

Tôkyô orimpikku

1965 2h 50m Dir. Kon Ichikawa
1

This impressionistic portrait of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events. Highlights include an epic pole-vaulting match between West Germany and America, and the final marathon race through Tokyo's streets.

Sensation of the Century
Sensation of the Century

A documentary covering the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It consists primarily of footage edited from the documentary TOKYO OLYMPIAD, directed by Kon Ichikawa.

13 jours en France
13 jours en France

This colorful documentary chronicles the events of the 1968 Winter Olympics in France. The events made international celebrities of skater Peggy Fleming and skier Jean-Claude Killy for their gold-medal performances. The camera accurately catches the speed of bobsleds and downhill racers and ski jumpers as they race for the gold.

Les neiges de Grenoble
Les neiges de Grenoble

Film about the 10th Olympic Games in Grenoble in 1968. Using a subjective camera, Ertaud and Languepin take the pulse of the Games, cutting out the eyes and slowing down the movement when necessary. The dominant figure at the Grenoble Winter Games is Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy, whose three gold medals matched Toni Sailer's 1956 feat.

Sapporo Orinpikku
Sapporo Orinpikku

Sapporo Orinpikku

1972 2h 48m Dir. Masahiro Shinoda

A documentary about the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan.

Visions of Eight
Visions of Eight

Eight acclaimed filmmakers bring their unique and differing perspectives to the 1972 Summer Olympic Games held in Munich.

White Rock
White Rock

White Rock

1977 1h 16m Dir. Tony Maylam

British documentary filmmaker and producer Tony Maylam reinvigorated the sports documentary genre with WHITE ROCK, an idiosyncratic and utterly engaging account of the XII Olympic Winter Games Innsbruck 1976.

Jeux de la XXIème olympiade
Jeux de la XXIème olympiade

Edited from almost 100 km of film footage shot during the Games, this feature documentary is a breathtaking portrait of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Much more than a simple record of the Games, the film approaches each event with the intention of revealing the athlete - whether winner or loser - as a unique individual.

Olympic Spirit
Olympic Spirit

Olympic Spirit

1980 27m Dir. Drummond Challis

A documentary covering the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.

O sport, ty - mir!
O sport, ty - mir!

O sport, ty - mir!

1981 2h 28m Dir. Yuri Ozerov

A 1981 documentary film directed by Yuri Ozerov. It showed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow. The director was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1982. The film was selected as the Soviet entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 54th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

A Turning Point
A Turning Point

A Turning Point

1984 1h 22m Dir. Kim Takal

A documentary covering the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo.

16 Days of Glory
16 Days of Glory

16 Days of Glory

1985 4h 45m Dir. Bud Greenspan

The definitive photographic record of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, told "from the inside" through the lives of the participants, the words of David Perry, and the singing voice of Placido Domingo. From the opening to closing ceremonies, this unique style of storytelling shows a side of the Olympic Games not seen by television audiences.

Seoul, 1988
Seoul, 1988

Seoul, 1988

1989 2h 19m Dir. Lee Kwang-soo

A documentary covering the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.

Beyond All Barriers
Beyond All Barriers

Beyond All Barriers

1989 1h 32m Dir. Lee Ji-won

A documentary covering the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.

Hand in Hand
Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand

1989 1h 59m Dir. Im Kwon-taek

A documentary covering the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

Marathon
Marathon

Marathon

1993 2h 10m Dir. Carlos Saura

A documentary covering the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

Salt Lake 2002: Stories of Olympic Glory
Salt Lake 2002: Stories of Olympic Glory

Award-winning sports chronicler Bud Greenspan delivers a powerful and emotional look at six individual stories in the official film of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Greenspan goes beyond highlight footage to tell the story of how these athletes overcome incredible obstacles to achieve Olympic glory.

First: The Official Film of the London 2012 Olympic Games
First: The Official Film of the London 2012 Olympic Games

The Official Film of the XXXth Olympic Games to be held in London, following the stories of twelve first-time Olympians from around the world.

The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912
The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912

Newly restored and assembled by the International Olympic Committee - the earliest comprehensive moving-image record of the modern Olympic Games that survives today.

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