A portrait of director Tim Fehlbaum

SEPTEMBER 5 (production company: BerghausWöbke Filmproduktion) was the opening film of Venice’s Orrizonti Extra sidebar and subsequently became the surprise hit of the festival. Critics and audiences alike were raving about the drama that centres on the hostage-taking of Israeli athletes by terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. SEPTEMBER 5 has since become this year‘s festival sensation and is being shown at more than 20 festivals. Moreover, Paramount will be releasing the film in US cinemas at the end of the year. Even a few weeks after the world premiere, one can still see how pleased director Tim Fehlbaum is with the reactions. “I‘m pretty overwhelmed by how the film has been received and how much attention it has attracted,” says the filmmaker who was born in Basle in 1982.

“I‘ve always been interested in the events surrounding the 5th of September, 1972. I studied in Munich, so one has a special relationship to these events.” And Kevin McDonald‘s documentary ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER had also been an important influence on his decision to tackle a real-life story for the first time after two dystopian feature films, the award-winning HELL (2011) and TIDES (2021).

During their research for the film, an initial conversation on Zoom with Geoffrey Mason left such a lasting impression on director Tim Fehlbaum, screenwriter Moritz Binder and producers Thomas Wöbke and Philipp Trauer that it sent the film in a new direction. “The way Mason remembered their reporting from the sports studio, the way the events came thick and fast, was so exciting to hear that I thought: why not just tell it from this perspective?” He was immediately attracted by the cinematic concept, “the challenge of staging the story as a chamber piece in a confined space. Everything takes place in the studio, the monitors are the only thing which is the window to the outside world.” He added that, as a filmmaker, he also has a more direct connection with the subject of media reporting and thus felt more entitled to tell something from this perspective.

The intensive research was important to him. “I wanted to approach this true story that is still relevant today with precision and respect.” The material that ABC had broadcast at the time proved to be the most important source. “We soon realised that we weren‘t going to be recreating these images, but instead using the original footage wherever possible in order to blend reality and staged scenes as authentically we could.”

What happens in the TV control room is put together from the memories of those involved. Some things were condensed, but always with the intention of telling the story as authentically as possible. The set design was also an important element in this context. “We didn‘t just want it to look real, we also wanted the equipment to still be working so that the cast could interact with them. The phone calls are real, and real images appear on the monitors.” The ensemble film has an international cast including Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch. “Back then, people came from all over the world to Munich for the Olympics, and we wanted to reflect this in the cast.” There aren‘t any fundamental differences for Fehlbaum when working with American stars. ‘Every actress and every actor is different. As a director, you have to relate to people on an individual level to know how someone works and what they need.’

One of the film‘s producers is Sean Penn. This contact came about through the DoP Markus Förderer who knew Penn‘s production partner John Wildermuth and had been told by him that the US star was wanting to produce small, political films. “When we presented our project to them, they were immediately convinced by the basic premise, but the script didn’t engender the same enthusiasm. That was another big incentive before they were then finally onboard. And there was great support in many areas, right through to the casting.” SEPTEMBER 5 is Fehlbaum‘s third film with producer Thomas Wöbke and the second with Philipp Trauer. “They are two unique partners because they are both incredibly creative. We are a team where the boundaries be­tween directing and producing are fluid. Because we all want the best for the film, not for our egos. They are very involved in every step and I really appreciate that.”

Thomas Abeltshauser