What is September 5 movie all about? Exploring the true story behind the drama

Following a successful premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2024, and the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2024, the suspenseful drama film, September 5, written and directed by Tim Fehlbaum is all geared up for release in Germany on November 7, 2024,

Featured in the film are renowned actors such as Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch. They play the roles of Roone Arledge, Geoff, Marvin, and Marianne, respectively.

As for September 5's plot, it is based on the true story of the Munich massacre that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. For the uninitiated, in a shocking turn of events, a group of militants owing allegiance to an organization called Black September attacked and killed several Israeli athletes who were stationed at the Olympic Village for the Olympics that year.

Needless to say, the incident shook the entire world and the world of media and broadcasting channels which became the sole bearer of news at the time. Several broadcasting sources, including ABC Sports (which is at the center of September 5), provided live updates from the scene, with journalists sneaking in equipment and risking their lives to provide real-time updates on the incident.

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All about the true story behind the drama film September 5

People mourning on the 50th anniversary of the Munich Summer Olympics attacks(Image via Getty)

September 5 is based on the incidents of the terrorist attacks during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. It was a usual day for all the journalists who were covering the Olympics and were prepared to continue doing so.

However, things changed suddenly, when a group of people owing allegiance to a Palestinian terrorist organization made their way through the Olympic village and killed two Israeli athletes. They also took nine other Israelis hostage.

The authorities tried to enter into negotiations with the militants. However, they failed. The members of the organization demanded the release of several Palestinian detainees in return for the Israeli hostages, but the authorities declined. After negotiations failed, German officials attempted to ambush the people of the militant organization but failed when both sides reported multiple casualties.

While all nine of the Israeli hostages were killed during the encounter, five members of the militant Black September organization were killed. Additionally, a German police officer was also killed during the encounter.

While all this was in process, one of the only media channels that kept reporting exclusively on this matter was ABC Sports whose immediacy in responding to the incident was widely praised.

The news channel reported from the ground, providing live updates and openly communicating with viewers about other related incidents that were taking place during the time.

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About the film

September 5 premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival(Image via Getty)

September 5 is written by Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum who also directed the film. It is produced by Philipp Trauer, Sean Penn, Thomas Wöbke, John Ira Palmer, Costanze Guttmann, John Wildermuth, Rüdiger Böss, and Egard Reitz. It has been produced under the banner of Berghaus Wöbke Filmproduktion, Projected Picture Works, Constantin Film, and Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion.

The logline for the film provided on the Venice Film Festival's website reads:

"September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage."

It continues:

"Through this lens, September 5 provides a powerful new perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time...... How do you cover a situation like this if what the perpetrators want is the spotlight you give?"

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While you wait for the release of this movie you can watch other thrillers such as Mayhem, Zero Dark Thirty, and Monster, which fall within the same genre.