On Sept. 5, 1972, Munich's Summer Olympics underwent a harrowing transformation. Palestinian terrorists seized hostages and tragically took the lives of 11 Israeli athletes. This event, which was supposed to be a celebration of sports, became a day of unimaginable tragedy. The ABC Sports reporters on the scene were completely unprepared for this sudden shift. However, their ability to rise to the occasion is at the core of "September 5" (now showing in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, and nationwide from Jan. 17).

Unraveling the Media's Response to a Tragic Olympics Day

The Arrival of the U.S. Team at the Olympics

The film "September 5" delves into how the U.S. team from ABC Sports, led by the legendary anchor Jim McKay, arrived at the games with high hopes. The network had secured a satellite, enabling the games to be broadcast live worldwide. It was a moment of great anticipation and excitement. But little did they know that this idyllic scene would soon be shattered.The athletes' dormitories echoed with the sound of gunfire, confirming the tragic deaths of two athletes. This was the moment when the Olympics script took an unexpected turn. The drama that followed centered around how producer Roone Arledge (played by Peter Sarsgaard) mobilized his team to report this breaking event with relatively primitive technology and a lack of information.Arledge's quick thinking and decisive actions propelled him to success in ABC's news division. He ordered massive cameras tethered by long cables to be placed in the streets to capture the hostage area better. He also gave the green light for staffers to pose as Olympians to obtain camera footage in and out of the athletes' village. And he defied orders to hand over the story to ABC News staffers sitting 4,000 miles away in Manhattan.

The Improvization of Journalism in a Time Before Smartphones

Although Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker), who later became a renowned network anchor, was already on the scene to assist with Olympics coverage, it was an improvised journalism ballet. In those days, before everyone had a smartphone in their pocket to capture and disseminate news, the journalists had to rely on their wits and resourcefulness.They faced numerous challenges and had to make quick decisions. The moral dilemmas they encountered were profound. As the minutes ticked by and the tension grew, they debated issues such as whether to show the terrorists on camera. These conversations became the heart of the movie and forced them to confront the difficult questions that come with covering a live event.

Media Ethics in the Face of a Hostage Crisis

For Sarsgaard, the questions posed by "September 5" resonate in today's media landscape. The film shows how the transition from broadcasting a sporting event to covering a hostage crisis raised important ethical questions."We went from being the first to broadcast a sporting event live to the first to put a live camera on a hostage crisis," he says. "This tool we have to see events unfold live - does it help or hinder journalism's role in society?"In the movie, two ABC Sports producers - Geoffrey Mason (played by John Magaro) and Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) - stop to ask these profound questions in the midst of the chaos. They debate whether to show the hostages themselves, if it is appropriate to focus on the terrorists, and what to call the hostage takers. These are the dilemmas that the film explores and that still resonate today.

The Echoes of 2023 in Israel's Tragedy

"September 5" will evoke painful memories for those still recovering from the Hamas-led massacres of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. Fehlbaum emphasizes that the film is not intended to reopen old wounds. His film was already in post-production when those attacks occurred."You can't separate today's news from what happened in 1972, so there are similarities," he says. "The world we live in today will undoubtedly influence how people view this movie. But our film is primarily about a moment in media history, a turning point in how news events are covered. We hope it will prompt us to reflect on our current media environment."The movie magic of "September 5" lies in taking the viewer inside a control room where TV professionals are covering a live event. Whether it's a sporting contest, the Oscars, or a human tragedy, the charged atmosphere remains constant. Fehlbaum spent a lot of time researching control rooms to understand this unique energy. Whether it's a Knicks basketball game or a political rally, the moment of going live creates a special feeling that is truly one-of-a-kind.