Race

Synopsis

The inspiring story of black Olympic athlete Jesse Owens is told in this biopic that reveals the barriers that Jesse had to overcome in his own country before taking the world stage. Under pressure to boycott the 1936 Games but equally urged to compete in order to publicly disprove racist Nazi ideology, a conflicted Jesse is the centre of attention and the controversial focus of propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s lens when he arrives in Berlin. Dedicated to the sport even while the target of institutionalised racism, Jesse finds himself becoming a role model and a symbol for the black community, and with much more riding on his performance at the Olympics than just doing his personal best.