September 5

When we hear “newsroom drama”, we think Spotlight, All the President’s Men or even Newsroom. Such stories must be both entertaining and informative for the audiences. No wonder writers and directors often admit how challenging it is to find the right balance between those two aspects. 

Luckily, Tim Felhbaum found one, as watching his latest feature reminds us of the old school of historical drama thrillers. September 5 retells the tragic story of the Munich Massacre, a terrorist attack during the 1972 Summer Olympics, through the lenses of American journalists. We follow a group of people, who gave the world one of the most legendary live television broadcasts, followed by an audience of 900 million. When people’s lives were at stake, everybody took a deep breath; we were able to watch, but unable to help at any point. 

The same emotions, all those intense feelings and a fear of what’s gonna happen next are still there, just like in Spielberg’s version, Munich from 2005. This time, all of it transpires in the packed newsroom one of the American stations. Enter Roone Arledge (a superb Peter Sarsgaard), ABC Sports’ president and one of the most prominent reporters of his generation. With his talented crew (played by such actors, as John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leone Benesch), he sees an opportunity to cover an exciting story. While still feeling guilty about using people’s suffering, they trust their intuition and continue covering the kidnapping on live TV. It is up to the viewer to root for them or condemn how they exploit this tragedy for the sake of their storytelling.

As Felnhbaum uses real video footage as the secondary protagonist of his drama, the audience can experience what it was like to follow all those events in 1972. One such scene, somewhere at the end of the film, makes us think about the quality of journalism from the previous century. When one of the most legendary TV reporters from that period, Jim McKay, announces the result of the terrorist attack, he does it with a certain dignity and professionalism. We are again reminded of what journalism used to be back then and how it could inspire every viewer.

September 5 proves there is a thin line between the need to monetise the so-called truth and the need to tell it by acknowledging the audience deserves to know everything, even if it’s just a non-important detail. Yet, no matter the circumstances and the hidden goals, we can see that the old guys – all those pioneers of a new kind of journalism – deeply cared and were truly passionate about their profession. Those times might never return and this drama gives our reporters their due. Otherwise, the history would sooner or later forget them.

Jan Tracz

September 5 is released nationwide on 6^th February 2025.

Watch the trailer for September 5 here: