ATHLETE A | FILM REVIEW
Dir: Bonni Cohen / John Shenk (18, 104 mins)
The disturbing case of American elite gymnastics and a history of sexual abuse that was ignored for years is brought to light in this gripping documentary. Larry Nassar was a physician for the USA Gymnastics team, supposedly easing the pain of his young patients as they battled their way to athletic excellence. Instead he was an abuser, molesting the girls in his charge whilst the authorities turned a blind eye.
The wholesome image of the team was what needed to be preserved, as promotional business deals grew, money circulated and gold medals rolled in at the Olympics. These young girls were brutally coached by Bela and Marta Karolyi, the Romanian team behind Nadia Comaneci’s Olympic win in 1976 at the age of 14, at their training ranch. There these girls would be bullied about their weight and worked to within an inch of their lives; Nassar was on site too, a seemingly gentle presence who offered sympathy whilst also abusing his charges.
The film follows the work of the Indianapolis Star as it investigates the scandal after Olympic hopeful Maggie Nichols reported Nassar’s conduct – the Athlete A of the title. Nichols was subsequently dropped from the team and her family’s requests for an investigation were ignored. As the Rio 2016 Olympics went on, the Star received testimony from women abused years ago, Rachel Denhollander and Jamie Dantzcher, and followed the trail uncovering systemic coverups and abuse. A tale of enablers and cover ups all too prevalent in the age of Epstein, Weinstein and the Catholic Church scandals, Athlete A is another sobering documentary about abuse of power. Nassar abused at least 125 young girls in his time as doctor: the film shows his survivors confronting him in court, each with their own heart-rending statements, a moment of empowered triumph amidst the tragedy.
Streaming on Netflix now
words KEIRON SELF