A shocking documentary about Anita Włodarczyk. It will show the price of a great career
The creators of the hit productions “Lewandowski. Unknown” and “Szczęsny” this time take a closer look at one of the most outstanding Polish sportswomen.
A new documentary about Anita Włodarczyk shows the price you pay for sports greatness. The film “Anita” will debut on May 14 during the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival at the Luna Cinema in Warsaw.
Anita Włodarczyk without retouching. Premiere of a film about the stadium star
The documentary tells the story of Anita Włodarczyk not only through the prism of successes, but above all, everyday life, which fans usually do not see. The three-time Olympic champion, world record holder and one of the most successful athletes in the history of Polish sport was shown without a monumental filter. The camera accompanies her during preparations for the world championships in Tokyo in 2025, taking a look at training sessions, consultations with a coach and physiologist, and places where athletes usually do not allow filmmakers.
In the film we will see many hours of training, eleven sessions a week and over thirty hours of work. There are metabolic indicators, heart rate measurements and the tedious everyday life behind new records. There are also moments of ordinariness when sport recedes into the background, even if only for a moment.
A large part of the photos were taken in Takasaki, Japan, a place particularly important for the hammerhead. It was there that she prepared for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and returned there after many years. The oriental scenery became the background for the most personal questions about motivation, loneliness and life after the end of a career.
A touching story by Kamila Skolimowska. For Anita, she was a rival, but also a mentor
The creators of the documentary also show the beginnings of the sportswoman’s career. From childhood in Rawicz, through first hammer throwing training, to joining the Polish national team. Viewers will also hear about a life devoted exclusively to sports. More than three hundred days a year away from home, conscious resignation from family life and relationships, and decisions whose consequences last throughout adult life.
One of the most powerful fragments of the film is the memory of Kamila Skolimowska. For Anita Włodarczyk, she was not only a rival, but also a mentor and authority. It was Skolimowska who supported her during her first competition abroad and was said to have said before the key throw during the Olympic Games in Beijing: “Girl, this is your moment, do your best.”
The creators also recall the tragic death of the Olympic champion, who died suddenly during a training camp in 2009. She was only 26 years old.
ORLEN became the main production partner, supporting Anita Włodarczyk for sixteen years. The document emphasized that the cooperation included both moments of triumph and more difficult stages of the career, including injuries and returns to form. The director is Kasia Grabek, and the film’s producer is Papaya Films, a studio known for documentaries about Polish athletes, including Robert Lewandowski, Wojciech Szczęsny and Jakub Błaszczykowski.
