Interviews: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch On Turning History Into A Thriller In “September 5”

It was an event that changed sport and international politics forever. But September 5, released this Thursday, looks at the events of the 1972 Munich Olympics from another perspective – through the eyes of the journalists bringing the story to the world.

Over the course of 21 hours, a group of terrorists held 11 Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic Village, threatening to kill one every hour until their demands were met. From their control room little more than a stone’s throw from the apartment building where the athletes were being held, the journalists – who were expecting to cover sports like swimming and gymnastics that day – had to piece together the story, sift truth from rumour and grapple with moral and ethical dilemmas. It was the start of live-streaming news, the norm nowadays but unheard of in the 70s when newspapers ruled the news agenda and most people in the UK watched black and white televisions.

MORE: READ OUR REVIEW OF “SEPTEMBER 5” HERE

September 5 presents this crucial piece of modern history as a high-stakes thriller and the film’s main cast – Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin, John Magaro, and Leonie Benesch – explain in the interview below how they brought modern history to the big screen, starting with how much they knew about the horrific events before they were approached to be in the film. German-born Benesch recalls being taught about them at school. They all discuss their approaches to getting to the heart of the real people they portray in the film and Magaro describes the demands of working within the tight confines of the control room set.

Check out the full interviews.

 

September 5 opens in UK cinemas on 6th February.