LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION, BUT I’M WINNING
A daring group of athletes queer an Olympic Stadium to challenge the antiquated rules of the game
Description
In a moment when LGBTQ+ athletes have been making headlines across the world, this imaginative and essential docu-essay features a chorus of queer athletes taking over an Olympic stadium to reclaim sport as a space of true inclusivity. Presenting an alternative kind of hero’s journey where queer voices take center stage, LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION BUT I’M WINNING breaks the silence around the oppression endured by athletes throughout Olympic history. An official selection of the Venice Film Festival, the film spotlights underrepresented figures who have faced discrimination simply for existing beyond the binary and racist standards established at the origins of the Athens Games. This radical perspective envisions a vibrant community where all bodies—those of women, trans individuals, intersex people and people of color—are celebrated and embraced.
“This film feels increasingly urgent as it highlights the inherently racist, misogynistic and transphobic challenges faced by so many athletes in the history of sports, such as Annet Negesa and Amanda Reiter, both featured in the film, and calling to mind the recent case of boxer Imane Khelif during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. In a time when speaking up for those who defy norms is crucial, queerness emerges as a powerful tool for radical change against outdated discriminatory systems.” – Anto(n) Astudillo, Programmer
Director
Julia Fuhr Mann
Writer
Julia Fuhr Mann
Cast
Annet Negesa, Amanda Reiter, Caitlin Fisher, Daniel Marin Medina, Chun Mei Tan, Eva Maria Jost, Jakob Levi Stahlberg, Oumou Aidara, Greta Graf