The 1972 Munich Olympics were the first Games held in Germany since the Nazi regime oversaw the 1936 Olympics. Dubbed “The Happy Games,” initially it seemed like a successful fresh start, with athletes from various countries and religious backgrounds pleasantly mingling in the Olympic Village, and competing together. On September 5, members of Black September, a Palestinian terror organization, took 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage, culminating in all their deaths.
Writer-director Francine Zuckerman examines this event in her documentary, “After Munich.” It does so by showing how the Munich Massacre impacted the lives of four women. Ankie Spitzer was left widowed with a baby, after her husband, Andre, was killed. She became an advocate for the victims, and a journalist, in hopes of keeping their memories alive and ending the cycle of violence. Esther Roth-Shahamorov was an Israeli track and field athlete, whose Olympic dreams were dashed with the murder of her coach. She would eventually compete in the 1976 Games, and went on to become a coach.
Because it was the first year the Olympics were televised, horrified audiences were able to watch the hostage situation, and later the deaths of the athletes. This was especially traumatic for Spitzer and Roth-Shahamorov. But, it was an international incident that would have significant ramifications.
The doc’s other two female subjects are former Mossad agents. Marianne Gladnikoff was brought in for a Norwegian mission, which was supposed to target the head of Black September. Gladnikoff’s warning that they had targeted the wrong individual in a case of mistaken identity was ignored by superiors and an innocent man was killed. She never recovered emotionally from the ordeal. Sylvia Raphael was a legendary agent and lived undercover as a Canadian photographer. She was also involved with what became known as the “Lillehammer Affair.” Gladnikoff, Raphael, and the other agents involved all spent time in prison in Norway for the assassination.
“After Munich” includes interviews with all four women, save for Raphael, who passed away in 2005. To bring more depth to Raphael’s story, actress Candice Mausner recreates moments in the spy’s life, in scenes that are effectively designed to look like retro home video footage. There are also interviews with Raphael’s contemporaries who knew her during her years as a secret agent.
The Munich Massacre is probably an event most people have some familiarity with, but what makes this film stand out is that it’s told from the perspective of women. Theirs were the forgotten stories, but each of their lives were irreversibly altered because of the attack at the 1972 Games. The doc also explores other incidents of subsequent terrorism, and how they have all impacted the world.
Zuckerman’s documentary and the women it highlights are fascinating. Those who are fans of history, especially women’s history, will find it incredibly illuminating.
Upcoming Screenings:
- October 6 – Dallas VideoFest 32 Presents Docufest – Dallas, TX
- October 14, 15, 16 – Warsaw International Film Festival – Warsaw, Poland
- January 18 – Documentary Channel – Canada
Keep an eye on the film’s official website for added screenings.
Published monthly, Under the Radar offers a chance for us to highlight works by and/or about women that haven’t received big releases or significant coverage in the press, but are wholly worthy of attention.
To recommend a title for this feature, please e-mail womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com.
