Ski Jumping Pairs – Road to Torino 2006

Praised as a ‘human documentary’ this consistently designed fake documentary takes an ironic look at the tradition of films of triumph against adversity. The mockumentary is the extended version of the graduation film by Mashima Riichiro. Having grown from a short animation film to a full-length feature, it shows the origins of the sport of ski-jumping for doubles and the adventures of those who want to become great at it. The sport is ‘discovered’ by accident by Professor Harada Toshifumi and he makes it his life’s work to get the sport officially recognised for competitions. Colleague scientist Norman Bates from Boston finds supporting evidence and Harada’s sons, the twin brothers Akinar and Michinori, are guinea pigs and become world champions. Following the Bermuda incident, in which a Swiss pair disappears without trace after jumping the `triangle figure’, the sport is again suspended. Akinar dies at the age of 23, after which his brother hits the bottle. Both Michinori and the sport overcome the setbacks and finally ski-jumping for doubles becomes an official part of the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. A Japanese curiosity that primarily serves to entertain. Mashima Riichiro: ‘Surely there’s enough space beside a single ski-jumper on such long skis? The hilarious yet serious shots emerge from my conviction that being serious about something so crazy is the most beautiful thing a person can do.’ (SdH)