Olympic Halftime
original title: Olympijský mezičas
2023, 77 min., color, Japanese-Czech-French-Chinese-English
COUNTRIES: Czech Republic, Slovakia
PRODUCTION : BUDGET : -
CREW
Director : Screenplay : Haruna Honcoop, Dimitrios PolyzosCinematographer : Lukáš Milota, Haruna Honcoop, Ondřej Belica
Producers : Vít Janeček
COMMENTS
FESTIVALS: Ji.hlava IDFF 2023 (World Premiere)
DIRECTOR’S NOTE: “I think the ruins are alive, and in them the present, past and future all exist simultaneously.”
SYNOPSIS
A documentary essay reflecting on spaces of the Olympic architecture and urban development in several selected locations in Europe and Asia.
What impact do the Olympic Games have on their host cities? Athens, Tokyo, Beijing and Paris – cities that have changed the urban layout of entire neighbourhoods for the Olympics, transforming their appearance forever. Unused sports stadiums are falling into disrepair and grass is growing over them, while public attention is focused on the construction of new stadiums costing billions, displacing thousands of residents who have to make way for them. The director travels to Olympic host cities to explore this unsustainable cycle, which has a devastating effect on the city’s economy, the environment, and the lives of ordinary people.