The Alex Schwazer case: Aldo Grasso’s review of the docu-series

THETHE ALEX SCHWAZER CASE
Type: documentary, investigation
Director: Massimo Cappello. With Alex Schwazer, Kathrin Freund, Carolina Kostner, Olivier Niggli, Sandro Donati, Josefsch Wazer, Giovanni Malagò, Attilio Bolzoni. On Netflix

Alex Schwazer, protagonist of the docu-series.

The dark side of sport. The Alex Schwazer case is a ruthless docu-series which, starting from the doping case of the Olympic walking champion Schwazer, rips the veil on an entire management and organization system of the world of athletics and its federations.

Without preconceptions or preconceived theses, the story of the rise and fall of the South Tyrolean champion (gold in Beijing 2008) gradually takes on the features of an inquiry, an investigation aimed at exposing the ghost of doping.

In four episodes, he starts from Schwazer’s open-hearted testimonies and then broadens his gaze (even back to mysterious deaths of athletes in the late 1970s and early 1980s) about the nightmare of blood transfusions and that obsession with success that sacrifices the best athletes.

Several key names accompany this “yellow” story: Francesco Conconi and his pupil Michele Ferrari, controversial and contradictory sports doctors, but also Sandro Donati, Schwazer’s coach-father.

Alex Schwazer, his confessions:

A large part of the series is also dedicated to a “pink” line, the champion’s relationship with Carolina Kostner. An investigation with an international scope where archives and montages guide the narrative.

For those who love sports storytelling and the story of a disturbing “behind the scenes”.

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