The True Story Behind Munich Olympics Journalism Drama September 5

As a lifelong cinephile who has seen my fair share of films that span the gamut from the classics to the contemporary, I must say that “September 5” is a riveting addition to the pantheon of movies about real-life events. The film’s focus on the journalists who were suddenly thrust into covering a horrific act of terrorism is not only timely but also a testament to the power of journalism in shining a light on the darkest corners of humanity.

On September 5, 1972, in Munich, while a 32-year-old producer named Geoffrey S. Mason was busy working in ABC Sports’ control room, a building nearby housed 12 hostages, among them several members of the Israeli Olympic delegation. As Mason and his team were switching from their routine sports coverage to report on this sudden breaking news, the doors suddenly flew open, revealing German police brandishing machine guns aimed directly at Mason. The Germans were displeased because one of the network’s cameras had captured that German snipers were positioned on the roof over the hostages, potentially jeopardizing a rescue attempt.

In the swift shutdown of the camera, Mason’s vivid recollection of that intense encounter endures, not just in his thoughts but also on the big screen come December 13, in select theaters, in the movie titled September 5. Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, this dramatic narrative revisits the broadcasting of a terrorist act to millions. It’s one of two films this century that delve into the Munich massacre, following Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated historical epic Munich in 2005. The 1999 film One Day in September even won an Oscar for best documentary feature. Unlike its predecessors, however, September 5 shares similarities with recent films like Spotlight, The Post, and She Said, being a film centered around journalism. With the significant presence of hostages in Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, the release of this film is particularly relevant.

The film revolves around the dramatic shift experienced by the ABC Sports team, moving from athletics to terrorism. It primarily focuses on the viewpoint of the undercover broadcasters who secretly captured footage inside the Olympic Village during the chaos. On that day, Mason, one of the producers (portrayed by actor John Magaro in the movie “Past Lives”), was involved in the production process. Alongside writers Fehlbaum, Moritz Binder, and Alex David, he consulted on the script. Reflecting on that day, Mason recalled, “I remember thinking, my goodness: We’re meant to be watching Mark Spitz chase seven gold medals and Olga Korbut—the rising star of Russian gymnastics—and now I’m witnessing individuals preparing for a military operation against terrorists.

In the summer of 1972, five years following Israel’s dominance in the Six-Day War, Palestinian militants seized the spotlight using airplane hijackings and terrorist acts. On that fateful day, a Palestinian group named Black September Organization demanded the release of 234 prisoners, some held for years in Israeli and German prisons, warning they would execute one hostage each hour until their demands were granted.

David Clay Large, author of “Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, and Triumph at the Olympic Games“, claims that the primary intention behind the Munich attack was to draw global attention to the Palestinian predicament. He adds that the Olympics, with its widespread reach, were ideal for this purpose. Simultaneously, the hostage crisis served as a significant source of humiliation for Germany, occurring less than three decades post-Holocaust. As Large points out, one of the major concerns for the Munich organizers was to portray a fresh, democratic, and open Germany, distinct from the past images of concentration camps and watchtowers, or the heavily secured Berlin Games of 1936.

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, let me share how I’d rephrase that intriguing narrative: “On that fateful day, I, along with many other sports journalists, were ready to cover the games in Munich. However, our focus was abruptly shifted when we were tasked to report on an unimaginable act of terrorism instead. One of my colleagues, Marvin Bader – portrayed brilliantly by Ben Chaplin in the film – was a Jewish-American journalist. For him, returning to Germany, the land where the Holocaust occurred, was not just professionally challenging; it was a source of profound discomfort on a deeply personal level. In my own words, Marvin was a man of strong faith and tender heart, and his years spent in Germany covering sports like ski jumping had left him with a complex emotional connection to the country.

According to the film, Mason’s coworker from the news division, Peter Jennings, disguised himself as an athlete using fake credentials and infiltrated the Olympic Village. He positioned himself on the 11th floor of the Italian delegation, directly opposite the Israeli team’s compound, to witness the events. Throughout the day, a hostage managed to escape through a window, while two others were killed during their attempt to disarm their captors. The ordeal concluded tragically when nine more lives were lost in a failed rescue mission that night at an airfield. ABC anchor Jim McKay announced to the world, “They’re all gone.

Following a full day without sleep, Mason recalls returning to his hotel room once the crisis had eased, fixing a strong drink, and having a heartfelt cry. “It was the first instance of the day where we could truly sense our involvement,” he expresses. He recalls thinking, “This is just unjust. These young individuals were merely striving to showcase their nation and to excel on the global stage, yet they were denied that chance.

Following the devastating massacre, I found myself reflecting on Israel’s immediate response – a series of air raids and bombings aimed at targets associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization, not just in Lebanon, but also in Syria. Initially, there was a wave of sympathy for Israel due to this horrific incident. However, as Large rightly points out, the retaliatory actions by Israel were intense and indiscriminate, causing a shift in public opinion towards them to some extent. He further notes, “There are striking similarities between then and now.” A year after this act of terror, in 1973, we witnessed the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. This conflict saw a coalition of Arab states, spearheaded by Egypt and Syria, counter-attacking the Sinai Peninsula as retribution for the Israeli airstrikes.

Following the groundbreaking 1972 broadcast, Mason dedicated his career to sports production, amassing experience from nine Olympic Games and several FIFA World Cups. Nowadays, he resides in Florida, serving as both the executive producer and CEO of his personal production company. It’s been an extraordinary feeling for him to be on camera, albeit through Magaro’s portrayal, rather than behind it – a sentiment he expresses as “I’ve spent decades working in production, so it was quite unusual to collaborate with someone who is essentially playing me.” Adjusting to this new role took some time, he adds.

As a moviegoer, I can’t help but hope that the passion my team and I poured into our journalistic work shines through for the audience. “It was a wild, thrilling ride every step of the way,” I recall, echoing the day’s events. “We were simply doing our duty, and we strived to tell the story truthfully.

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2024-12-12 17:06