Murderball (documentary)
Encyclopedia
Murderball is a 2005 American documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about tetraplegic athletes with partial arm function who play wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
. It centers on the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams
United States national wheelchair rugby team
The United States national wheelchair rugby team represents the United States of America in international wheelchair rugby. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all three Paralympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with two golds.-2004...
leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Games
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
. It was directed by Henry Alex Rubin
Henry Alex Rubin
Henry-Alex Rubin studied film at Phillips Academy, Andover and Columbia University. The son of a French mother and American father Henry-Alex Rubin studied film at Phillips Academy, Andover and Columbia University. The son of a French mother and American father Henry-Alex Rubin studied film at...
and Dana Adam Shapiro
Dana Adam Shapiro
Dana Adam Shapiro is an American film director, best known for his directorial work on the 2006 Academy Award nominated documentary Murderball.-Career:...
, and produced by Jeffrey V. Mandel and Shapiro. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the 78th Academy Awards
78th Academy Awards
The 78th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2005 and were held on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, with Tom Kane making his first appearance as the show's announcer...
.
UN screening
The film was screened at the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
uncut. One of its stars, Mark Zupan, winced when describing how embarrassed he was to have his mother hear his remarks on the sex lives of persons with quadriplegia.
Equipment
Murderball is notable for shooting with a very low budget. The main camera used was a Panasonic DVX100; a Sony PD150 was used to shoot some of the early interviews. The crew rigged a Sennheiser shotgun microphone to use as a boom, and relied heavily on Lavaliere wireless microphones as well. Available lighting was used almost exclusively. Additional light was provided using an inexpensive china ball. In one example of on-the-spot lighting, a flashlight was diffused using only a napkin.Campaign
"Get Into the Game" is a social action campaign that uses Murderball to increase public awareness about people with disabilities and to raise funds for the U.S. Paralympics. Funds raised provide sports wheelchairs for athletes in need.Reception
Murderball garnered almost universally positive reviews; it currently holds a 98% 'fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with the consensus "An entertaining and gripping documentary that shows being confined to a wheelchair doesn't mean the fun has to end." This film is also #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies.
Awards
- Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2005 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
- Nominated for Best Documentary FeatureAcademy Award for Documentary FeatureThe Academy Award for Documentary Feature is among the most prestigious awards for documentary films.- Winners and nominees:Following the Academy's practice, films are listed below by the award year...
at the 78th Academy Awards78th Academy AwardsThe 78th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2005 and were held on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, with Tom Kane making his first appearance as the show's announcer... - Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2005 Full Frame Documentary Film FestivalFull Frame Documentary Film FestivalThe Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight...
- Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2005 Indianapolis International Film FestivalIndianapolis International Film Festival-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...
- Audience Award for Best Non-Fiction Film at the 2005 Indianapolis International Film FestivalIndianapolis International Film Festival-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...
See also
- Joe SoaresJoe SoaresJoe Soares is a former all-star wheelchair rugby player for the United States who later went on to coach the Canadian paralympic team after he was cut by the U.S in 1996. This episode figures prominently in the 2005 documentary film Murderball....
, coach who first led Team Canada to victory against the United States - Mark Zupan, captain of the U.S. Quad rugby team