Documentary About Gender in Athletics ‘Life Is Not a Competition But I Am Winning’ Acquired by First Hand Films Ahead of Venice Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
First Hand Films has taken international sales rights to German director Julia Fuhr Mann’s documentary “Life Is Not a Competition But I Am Winning,” which will premiere in Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival. Variety is debuting its trailer exclusively.
The film is about gender in athletics – including the issue of transgender athletes banned from competition – and “subverts stereotypes that still seem to dominate Olympic disciplines today.”
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“In a poetic-radical utopia, ‘Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning’ shakes up the stereotypical gender relations in competitive sports,” according to a press statement. “The film goes in search of the queer-feminist potential in the Olympic disciplines of running and sketches a world beyond rigid gender images.”
“Julia Fuhr Mann’s oeuvre has so many layers, is so carefully drawn, and tells such a strong story – we are proud and honored to work with the film,” Esther van Messel at First Hand Films said.
“The more colors we include, the more beautiful our world will shine: let’s normalize diversity so we don’t have to talk about it, just like life is not a competition but we are winning.”
The film is produced by Fabian Altenried, Sophie Ahrens and Kristof Gerega for Schuldenberg Films. It is coproduced by ZDF/3Sat in cooperation with University of Television and Film Munich.
Fuhr Mann worked for many years as a curator for the feminist film festival Bimovie and is currently producing videos for the media editorial department of Süddeutsche Zeitung, a major German newspaper.
Fuhr Mann’s short film “Riot Not Diet” was screened at over 60 film festivals worldwide, including Hot Docs, and has won numerous awards, including best short film at Barcelona Intl. Short Film Festival.
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