NINA IS AN ATHLETE – A Review by Jenn Rohm
What does it take to be a successful Paralympic athlete? What if you are female and want another child? How does that impact the training and competition schedule? How does aging impact your chances? What is day-to-day life like? These are just a few of the questions answered in director/writer Ravit Markus’s documentary Nina is an Athlete.
Nina Gorodetsky was injured in a car accident at the age of 17. She did not let that slow her down. Approaching her 40th birthday this film gives insight into what her life is like. Discussions with her Coach Leon Pogetz, former mixed doubles partner Amir Levy, and other members of the Israel Paralympic badminton team we hear about acceptance of the loss of the use of their legs and life for the partner of a person in a wheelchair. This is just a portion of this layered film. We also see how the decision to become pregnant impacts the choices being made, the ability to train, and the challenges in getting back into competitive shape after giving birth.
At the heart of the film is the importance of support, be it from family, friends, coaches, and even other athletes. The schedule can be demanding to maintain the skills and abilities to compete at such a level. For a female athlete, there can be additional demands of being a spouse, mother, and primary caregiver. During the filming the international coronavirus pandemic took place, and we are allowed to see what that was like for an expectant mother with an elementary-aged child at home as well.
I will have to keep my eyes and ears open to see if Nina will be competing in the 2024 Paralympic Games being held in Paris.
Director: Ravit Markus
Written By: Ravit Markus
Cast: Nina Gorodetsky, Dor Kessel, Leon Pugach
Genres: Documentary
Selig Rating: 3 stars
Runtime: 1h 12m
Language: Hebrew, with English subtitles
Submission: Slamdance Film Festival 2024
Trailer: Nina is an Athlete Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
