Icarus (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #51 extract: Icarus (2017)

Russia's government is one of the dodgiest institutes on the face of this planet. The world's collective answer to this seeming fact: ...? 

I've heard so much about this documentary for months - I basically knew all the facts that it had to state - yet it still surprised me and has left me somewhat speechless. Not only does Icarus somehow manage to stumble into one of the most complex and confounding conspiracies of the modern day, but its (somewhat) subtle commentary on Russia's doping programme impact on the world is tremendous. The commentary via Orwell's 1984 is certainly on the nose, but the visuals and the character building that silently present the futility of the investigation, the overbearing weight of the seemingly innocuous conspiracy and the deep impact and ambiguous scope of politics meeting sports is simply silencing. Incredibly conceived and executed, Icarus is an absolute must-see. 

P.S. A great supplement to the film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2FCBIpKCdI