IDFA 2000
Sport: de mentale kwestie
The Mental Game
Lies Niezen
Netherlands
2000
55 min
n.a.
In top-class sport, everything revolves around the winners. Their successes and eruptions of joy are extensively followed and exposed by the media. We hardly ever see or read anything about the backgrounds to their accomplishments or about the failure of those who have (just) not made it. People tend to forget that top-class sport also involves issues such as grief, fear of failure and personal development. In DE MENTALE KWESTIE, debut filmmaker Lies Niezen follows a number of Dutch top sportsmen during their physical and, more particularly psychological, preparations for the recent Olympic Games. On the basis of interviews with famous sports psychologist Peter Blitz and haptonomist Ted Troost, she finds out that the importance of mental coaching is not yet fully acknowledged in Dutch sport. The motto ‘blank your mind and go for the prize’ does not bring the desired result for all top-class sportsmen. Apparently, there is more between success and failure than we can register with the naked eye or a stopwatch.
Credits
Distribution
Zeppers Film & TV
Zeppers Film & TV
World Sales
Zeppers Film & TV
Zeppers Film & TV
Director
Production
Zeppers Film & TV
Zeppers Film & TV
Cinematography
Screenplay
Editing