Patience, perseverance, determination. These are the traits that Natasha, a 29-year-old journalist from Athens, exudes as she tries to reach her goal of completing her first marathon event. Captured in a diary format presentation over a year and a half you will see her struggle to overcome injury, keep motivated by volunteering at a variety of races, and change training programs as she seeks to fulfill her ambitions. This documentary premiered at the Thessaloniki Documentary film festival on March 19, 2004 and this is the third film by Angelike Contis (read interview below) who operated as director, writer, and editor of her own camera work.
The quick beats that are carried in the riffs by musician Jez Bentley are immediately introduced and set a tone that is awaited and welcomed as this true story unfolds. Brief comments from amateur runners, coaches, and ultramarathon champion Yiannis Kouros, share various perspectives on what it takes to complete a running goal, both physically and mentally. The Athens Classic Marathon race, which finishes in the Athens marble stadium, is returned to twice as Natasha runs the 10k to check her fitness level. As Natasha struggles for the right training program she decides to change to Hal Higdon’s 18 week marathon program and sticks with it until she is able to reach her own race day with over 30,000 other runners in the 29th Berlin Marathon. The women’s
winner, Naoko Takahashi of Japan, (she was also the gold medalist in the Sydney Olympic games) is interviewed following the race.
Quotes from Natasha:
"I’m preparing to run the marathon that will be held this November on the original marathon route. I wanted to change certain things about my life that I don’t like. I wanted to be healthier and take better care of myself. When I run, my body feels free. It rids my mind of any concerns. You can see within yourself when you run. There’s also that great feeling that you sometimes get while running. In English it’s called "runner’s high". I'm not sure what they call it in Greek. You get in a state where you are totally alive and...happy. You feel like your entire body is a well oiled machine that won’t let you down."
"I often run when I have things on my mind. It makes me forget everything. Running makes you feel better so not being able to run all this time affected me negatively."
"It’s like I’m ready to go to war now. That’s how I feel."
"Time is something that can stress you out. I won’t be using a stopwatch anymore at most of my practices. I think runners should listen to their body instead and let it determine their speed. I’ll pay attention to my times when the appropriate moment arrives."
"I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that I’m very afraid. I had been very cool about it, thinking, "Great! I’m finally done training." I was happy because I’d finished the tough practices but I forgot what the training was for– this race."
"I proved something to myself, if I set a goal I can achieve it. I learned I can do it no matter what everyone else says, or even if they try to stop me. If I want something, I can achieve it. That’s what it was all about."
If you want to motivate yourself to try to run your first marathon, or see a riveting story of marathon success, than you will be pleased while watching this documentary. To order a VHS or DVD (NTSC or PAL format) visit the "Contact" page at the film’s official website, Run Natasha Run.com. It is great to see a handful of talented people produce a quality production through the lens of a mini-DV and I hope productions like these continue to be brought forward for the public to view. Just as Natasha cheers for others during their races, I cheer for her and this movie with a resounding "Bravo, Bravo!"
Postscript: Natasha is still pursuing her running goals and continues to use Hal Higdon’s marathon training program. In 2003 she returned to Berlin for her second marathon and then went to Rotterdam in 2004 where she was unable to complete the race due to a knee injury. Her recovery has gone well and her next marathon is set to take place in Turku, Finland in July 2004.
Running Movies: This is your third independent film that you have made. What was your main interest when you chose to make a film that chronicled Natasha's quest to run a marathon?
Angelike Contis: I had always admired marathon runners and considered running a marathon a major feat. That’s why when Natasha said she wanted to run one, we both instantly decided it was the perfect topic for a video diary-like film. As we got started, we started to realize that there was a small, but admirable group of runners in Greece who went very much against the grain of contemporary Greek culture. You rarely see joggers in the city of Athens, unless you know about their hang-outs.
RM: As running is a part of your routine, what influence did this have on how you made your film?
AC: I’ve been running - sometimes regularly, sometimes infrequently - for the last 14 years. I always dreamed of running a marathon, though I still haven’t. (Maybe I can do my first one in a year or two.) I think the main influence it had is on the rhythm of the editing and the "in" it gave me to be able to interview people about the topic. Obviously, I think if the director runs it adds to the underlying enthusiasm of a running film.
RM: Were their difficulties encountered in making this film due to the changing goals due to training and health issues that Natasha encountered?
AC: In an early screening, my friends felt the film was too "whiny", full of Natasha’s complaints. We had to edit out some of that, because they were right, the plaguing difficulties weren’t that interesting to hear about after a while. (In retrospect, I probably should have filmed Natasha demonstrating her problems, for instance difficulties walking and painful running, though I probably didn’t because I knew that she wouldn’t be too pleased at the time to have me filming that while she was miserable). I think in the end, it was realistic that the story dragged out more, because you can’t run a marathon without one obstacle, or until you go through various programs before finding what’s right for you.
RM: Did you employ any special film methods in capturing the running sequences?
AC: I found it technically very difficult to actually record people running. You can get them from a distance, but it’s really hard (without a bigger budget or camera skill!) to film their feet, muscles, strain and to technically record the sound of their breathing and footsteps. We got it a few times, though, but not as many as I’d liked. The biggest challenge, of course, was trying to film the Berlin Marathon. Luckily the city has an extensive subway system, and I’d run as fast as I could in between stops, trying to make it too our next meeting point. Some of the shots of Natasha during the race we didn’t even find until playing back the tapes in slow motion! It was real risky because even if I didn’t see Natasha, I had to have the faith that she’d passed in front of the lens at the right time and go on to the next meeting point.
RM: You are currently selling Run Natasha Run through your website, www.RunNatashaRun.com. Are there any plans for additional distribution of this movie?
AC: In a promotional effort, to get the film shown, I’m actually giving away the first DVDs for now. I am in the process of contacting running magazines, however, to publicize the video around the world and start doing more sales to individuals and running clubs in particular, but also TV stations with sports slots.
RM: Your film was shown in a film festival in Italy a couple of months ago. What was that experience like for you and do you have plans in participating in other film festivals in 2005?
AC: I attended the festival with my partner Jez Bentley, who wrote the music. It was thrilling to be in Milan, though we were underwhelmed by festival organization (no Italian subtitles!) and the lack of people at our screening. However, it was nice to be part of an international festival, and we’d love to enter the project in other international festivals. Maybe in Japan, where running is a huge sport!
RM: The 2004 summer Olympic Games were held there in Athens. What was that experience like for you and did you bring out the camera much during that time?
AC: I got a good work out. I spent most of the Games in the heat, carrying around my equipment on my back. I wanted to record what life was like in the city during this unique event for three people (a journalist friend, my Olympics volunteer father and a local shopowner who’s a poet). A few days ago I screened a rough draft of this new project and am now busy finishing up the editing and recording the city five months after the Games. I attended many sporting events, and must say that the men’s and women’s marathons were absolutely thrilling to experience first hand. I watched both from the Athens Marble Stadium, where the 1896 Olympics were held. There was a massive screen following the race until you realized the runners were running down the final stretch and right outside the stadium. Both races were full of drama and an amazingly emotional feeling at the finish line. I have mixed feelings about the modern Olympics, after experiencing them first hand. While there were priceless moments like these, the Games have become incredibly expensive to host and the Athens 2004 organization really limited the information that journalists were able to acquire and distribute out to the public, in a backbreaking effort to generate positive PR mostly for their corporate sponsors.
RM: Thanks for you time, Angelike, and congratulations on your film. Is there anything else you want to share at this time?
AC: That’s about it. By the way, Visions of Eight was fantastic. I loved all of the films, and found the marathon tale in it exceptional. It was inspiring as I finish editing my own Olympic tale. Hope 2005 is a good year for running and writing about running!
