Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning (Życie to nie rywalizacja, ale wygrywam)

Prowess, strength, team, country – athletics is all about decent representation. It’s ironic how often participants have found themselves erased from its history. Julia Fuhr Mann uses the formula of essay and the insertion of modern-day athletes into archive footage, suggesting that excelling has always been fine for white men, but if you happen to be an exceptional woman – Black or transgender, then nobody wants to put you on a pedestal or podium and it’s infinitely harder to get there. “Life Is Not A Competition…” is a thoughtful and well-argued film that rather than policing athletes by restricting them, suggests expanding the boundaries of classification.

Olympic Games founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin once declared “female athletes act against the law of nature”. One of the most provocative ideas in film, as well as in sport itself, is that of excelling. If history is written by the victors, where does that leave those who were never allowed to be a part of the game?

🏆 Venice Film Festival 2023 – Queer Lion Award, Nominee
🏆 Venice Film Festival 2023 – Grand Prize Venice International Critics’ Week, Nominee