Movies - One Day in September

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	Movies - One Day in September

One Day in September was a 1999 documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald examining the September 5, 1972 killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2000; it was not released until June 2000 in Switzerland and not until November 2000 in the United States.

Michael Douglas provides the sparse narration throughout the film.

The Film

The documentary begins with interviews with the wives of some of the slain athletes, including Ankie Spitzer, wife of Andre Spitzer. It also features an interview with Jamal Al-Gashey, the only surviving terrorist (the rest having been killed in the attack or later by the Mossad), who is in hiding in Africa. He wears a cap and sunglasses and his face is slightly blurred.

There are various shots of the games getting underway, and attention is given to the lax security the Germans had at the games.

The terrorists are seen preparing for the attack: Al-Gashey, a member of Black September, says he and the other members were trained in Libya before going to Germany to begin the attack.

The attack is described by Al-Gashey as well as some of the German security staff present. Footage of ABC anchor Jim McKay is interspersed, along with sound clips of Peter Jennings, to provide an as-it-happened approach.

The film alleges that the rescue operation was poorly planned and executed: the snipers were not prepared, as well as being poorly positioned. The film implies that had the German government prepared better, the athletes might have been saved.

The film also alleges that the October 29 hijacking of a German Lufthansa jet and the subsequent release of the three Black September members being held for trial in the killings was a set-up by the German government.

Companion book

Reeve, S. (New York, 2001), One Day in September: the full story of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre and Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God' ISBN 1559705477

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for One Day in September ]

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