The Fall

You know the ending, the drastic trip that put paid to two brilliant running careers. But knowing that ending only enhances the enjoyment of this moving, thought-provoking and wonderfully crafted film.

It’s packed with archival footage of the bare-foot bokkie, Zola Budd, and her 1984 Olympic nemesis Mary Decker. A teenage tool in the hands of a grasping father and the Daily Mail, a politically cynical tabloid desperate for British gold, Budd was granted UK citizenship, flying in the face of the sports boycott.

The Fall, a masterful mix of their personal journeys and the broader political contexts of the time, illustrates the impact that media, politics and history have on individual lives.

Their story, with a new ending, still reverberates. Thirty-two years on,Budd is particularly impressive.