‘September 5’ interview: The creatives behind the new film talk accuracy in journalism, the 70s, and more

Paramount Pictures’ journo-drama September 5 is earning critical acclaim this awards cycle, and for a good reason. So it only makes sense that its director, writers, and stars made sure to get the details right when retelling the harrowing events of the 1972 Summer Olympics from the POV of the control room.

Journalism dramas are often awards season darlings, and so far, September 5 is no exception. The film follows the true story of the ABS Sports broadcasters who covered the Israeli hostage situation during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, delving into the ethical issues of journalism and the geo-political landscape of West Germany during that time. It’s a gripping examination of international terrorism and the morality of putting such violence on live television for millions to see—all 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team were killed, along with five men affiliated with the group Black September.

All this to say that the events of September 5, 1972 were bound to be tricky to adapt from the start, as nailing the details was essential to telling this story in a thoughtful way. So coming off the film’s recent Golden Globes nomination, director/writer Tim Fehlbaum and actors Leonie Benesch and Ben Chaplin sat down with The Mary Sue to talk all things journalism, the 1970s, and getting their facts straight.

‘Well-intentioned people doing the very best they can’: September 5 creatives on the film’s real-life inspirations

Much of September 5 stems from Fehlbaum’s fascination with the world of broadcast TV and wanting to accurately portray the frenetic energy of an Olympics newsroom—especially during moments of crisis. “I love when movies give you the feeling that you really learn something about these people you’re watching,” the director explained. “Even though in our movie they are reporting on this tragic situation, in a way, it is also a tribute to the world of live television; a world that I’m very fascinated with.”

Of course, September 5 puts a unique spin on your typical journalism drama, as the ABS News crew assigned to cover the 1972 Olympics weren’t exactly prepared to cover something as grim as a hostage situation. Playing a character in a moment of crisis—while also focusing on the bigger risk at hand—was quite the tall order. But according to Chaplin, who plays Marvin Bader, it was as simple as portraying a character who’s trying to remain as professional as possible.

“In my mind, it’s about these well-intentioned people doing the very best they can, very professional, very good at their jobs, groundbreakingly good at their jobs…but [they] get thrown into a situation that wasn’t one that they had ever planned on being in, and weren’t necessarily sure how to navigate. But they were can-do people. Like television, they’re going to make it work, and that ends up with its own particular—on top of the tragic events themselves—it ends up with its own personal tragedy for these people. Much smaller, obviously, but life-changing for them.”

In the film, Benesch plays German translator Marianne Gebhardt. To prepare for her role, Benesch got familiar with using a portable typewriter similar to the one her character used during the real-life coverage—one of the small details she thought was essential to fully telling Gebhardt’s story.

“I think it’s always really fun when you have a character that has a profession, because sometimes they don’t, but when they do, you want to make sure that you know what they’re talking about, and what it is that they feel at home with,” Benesch said. “So for Marianne, I tried to learn as much as I could about that world of simultaneous translating, because that is the thing that she knows.” The cast also thanked Fehlbaum’s “obsession” with detail and authenticity, which certainly made it easier for them to commit to the film’s ’70s aesthetic.

Live news was considerably more difficult to produce back in 1972

We definitely take for granted how portable cameras are these days, as nearly everyone has their iPhone ready to record anything at the drop of a hat. Fehlbaum made sure to touch on that while discussing September 5‘s approach to recreating the live news of the era: “It is interesting to see how back then, how big these cameras were. And then, of course, it also hopefully makes [us] reflect on our own consumption of media today.”

In the movie, there’s one particular scene where the ABC Sports team loses their satellite—something that would never happen today now that there are so many in orbit, and broadcasters don’t have to clamor to book a slot. To Fehlbaum, this was an especially interesting piece of the puzzle, as it stopped the real-life journalists mid-interview during an already tumultuous point in their coverage. “It’s an absurd scene where they lose the satellite slot and they have to stop this interview, which is something, by the way, you would never come up with as a writer if wouldn’t have seen it, that this happened for real in the footage.”

Taking on a story about the 1972 Summer Olympics wasn’t an easy gig, as there are so many layers that go into making a film like September 5. But thanks to the cast and crew doing their research, it’s no wonder that it’s well-primed to score a nomination at this year’s Academy Awards.