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Mighty Jerome (Short Version)

2010 52 min
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In 1959, at just 19, Harry Jerome was Canada's most promising track and field star on his way to the Olympics in Rome. By 1962, after suffering a gruesome leg injury, there was every reason to think that his racing days were over. But Jerome was not just a champion on the track; he was doubly determined off it. And so began his climb to what his coach, Bill Bowerman, called "the greatest comeback in track and field history." Through years of unparalleled political turbulence, racial conflict and his own personal challenges, Harry Jerome kept his head down and ran, …

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Mighty Jerome (Short Version)

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In 1959, at just 19, Harry Jerome was Canada's most promising track and field star on his way to the Olympics in Rome. By 1962, after suffering a gruesome leg injury, there was every reason to think that his racing days were over. But Jerome was not just a champion on the track; he was doubly determined off it. And so began his climb to what his coach, Bill Bowerman, called "the greatest comeback in track and field history."

Through years of unparalleled political turbulence, racial conflict and his own personal challenges, Harry Jerome kept his head down and ran, displaying strength of character and willful perseverance every bit as impressive as his record-setting athleticism.

Filmmaker Charles Officer uses gorgeous monochrome imagery, impassioned interviews and astonishing archival footage to tell the runner's triumphant story, from his early days in North Vancouver, through his three Olympics and his unequalled streak of records, to his sudden and tragically premature death. Family, friends and teammates recall a man who forever changed the Canadian sports landscape and made an indelible mark upon the world.

Compelling, surprising and urgently paced, Mighty Jerome will electrify sports fans, history buffs and all those with an appreciation for tales of courage and redemption.

  • writer
    Charles Officer
  • director
    Charles Officer
  • producer
    Selwyn Jacob
  • editor
    Jesse James Miller
  • director of photography
    John Price
  • original music composer
    Schaun Tozer
  • music producer
    Schaun Tozer
  • spoken word performer
    Saul Williams
  • sound design
    Jonathan Ritchie
  • supervising sound editor
    Jonathan Ritchie
  • assistant editor
    JR Mackie
  • production manager
    Damian Kuehn
    John Nadalin
  • sound recordist
    Eric Davies
    Tim Lue
  • steadicam operator
    Cliff Hokanson
  • Jib operator
    Nevin Merrells
  • 1st assistant camera
    Luke Campbell
    Peter Carty
    Christopher Chow
    Kristin Fieldhouse
    Justin Lovell
    Michelle Yardley
  • additional cinematography
    Christian Bégin
    Ian Kerr
    Devin Lund
    Catherine Lutes
    Larry Lynn
    Charles Officer
    Dan Power
  • gaffer
    James Scott Portingale
  • key grip
    Simon Doucet
    Vincent Phillips
    Felipe Rodriguez
    Jamie Sutherland
  • dramatic re-enactment cast
    Nykeem Provo
    Claire Burns
    Fidel Dwayne Hodge
  • art director
    Diana Abbatangelo
  • set decorator
    Perri Gorrara
  • wardrobe
    Evilia Nikolouzos
  • makeup
    Evilia Nikolouzos
  • wardrobe assistant
    Caitlin Wright
  • hair
    Caitlin Wright
  • production assistant
    Patrick Hepburn
    Tamara Jones
    Matthew Scott
    Allison Wilson-Forbes
  • background extra
    Niville Diggs
    Elaine Euwen
    Jeno Huber
    Kelly King
    Lionel Williams
    Jeffrey Snape
    Peter Snider
    Douglas A. Wilson
  • graphics
    Charles Officer
  • titles
    Charles Officer
  • technical consultant
    Eliot Piltz
  • animation
    Paul Morstad
  • archival research
    Found Images Research
    Sylvia Mezei
  • music clearances
    Elizabeth Klinck
  • research
    Stephen Brunt
    Cheryl Foggo
  • transcription
    Bongani Ngugama
  • music performer
    Schaun Tozer
  • dialogue editor
    Jesse Rankin
  • re-recording mixer
    Jonathan Ritchie
  • re-recording studio
    Black Dog Sound
  • digital film central producer
    James Tocher
    Curtis Staples
  • supervisor
    Robert Egger
    Chris Davies
  • colourist
    Andrea Chlebak
  • technician
    Monty Contractor
    Christopher Irwin
    Alexander Taylor
  • production coordinator
    Jennifer Roworth
  • technical coordinator
    Wes Machnikowski
  • production supervisor
    Kathryn Lynch
  • marketing manager
    Leslie Stafford
  • program administrator
    Bruce Hagerman
  • executive producer
    Tracey Friesen

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Education

Ages 11 to 15
School subjects
Assess how Mighty Jerome reconstructs Harry Jerome’s life story and struggles by examining the decision of the filmmakers to shoot exclusively in black and white. In addition to reconstructing several museum installations as a backdrop to the interviews that occur with key people in Jerome’s life, there are dramatic recreations of events from Jerome’s life. How ethical are these filmmaking decisions given that the documentary is a memoir about a public figure?
Mighty Jerome (Short Version)
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