Abebe Bikila, an Ethopian, was a man few could match in terms of achievement, and "The Athlete," playing at the St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 15 and 20, is a biographical tribute to the first African to win an Olympic gold medal.
Written and directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew, the film is in the festival as a feature because Bakila and the people who affected his life are portrayed by actors. Since Bakila died in 1973, it would be difficult to make a true documentary. Lakew, who also was a co-writer and co-director, takes the part of the Ethiopian athlete who stunned the world in 1960 when he won the Olympic marathon in Rome.
More unusual, he won it running barefoot, the way he trained back home.
And he did it again in 1964 in Tokyo, though he was wearing shoes. Bakila was the first man to win successive Olympic marathons. He ran again in 1968, but dropped out because of an injury; apparently he had broken a small bone in his foot in a practice run a few days before the event.
In 1969, Bakila was in an auto accident in Ethiopia and was left without use of his legs, but he participated in other sporting events like archery and dog-sled racing.
He died at the age of 41 of a cerebral aneurysm, probably an after-effect of the auto accident.
Lakew gives a strong portrayal of Bakila and the film is well-made and interesting in its re-creation of a man's heroic life.
The Athlete, part of the St. Louis International Film Festival, plays at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, and 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, both at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
—Joe
Comments
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Joe, the 1960 Olympics were in Rome. The 1968 Games were in Mexico City.
Of course you’re right. Corrected.