Documentary about Romanian canoeing legend Ivan Patzaichin has Paris premiere

Ivan - omul cu rădăcini în ape/ Ivan - The water-rooted man, Ana Preda’s documentary about the Romanian canoeist Ivan Patzaichin, had its international premiere last week in Paris.

The film makes use of original archival images to reconstruct the athlete’s journey from a 16-year-old teenager who left a fisherman’s village in the Danube Delta to a multiple Olympic champion. The film also documents Patzaichin’s returns to his roots, stemming “from a sense of duty to the people and places that shaped him.” The documentary also highlights the failures that preceded every Olympic medal and the assiduous training behind every victory.

The film covers images from the archive of the public television TVR, from the National Film Archive, from international competitions, but also footage from recent years.

The documentary is a co-production between TVR and Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23 Association, which opened a museum dedicated to Patzaichinin Mila 23 this year.

The film is also scheduled to be screened on August 21 at the Râşnov Film Festival.

(Illustration courtesy of the Romanian Cultural Institute)