featured Interview

Interview: Director Tim Fehlbaum Talks ‘September 5’ and Why Journalism is More Important than Ever

January 8, 2025Ben MK




For many of us, movies are a form of escapism — a way of getting away from the realities and the worries of our world. Whether it's the relatively mundane nature of our day-to-day lives or more troubling socioeconomic issues like international conflicts, racism and crime, there are many reasons why audiences choose to go to the multiplex and lose themselves in the latest action blockbuster, animated adventure or comedy drama. Some films, however, are intended as more than just good old-fashioned entertainment — but, rather, are meant to serve as reminders about the fragility of life and the nature of humanity. And with September 5, director Tim Fehlbaum is setting out to tell one such tale, in this true story of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, and the role played by the journalists tasked with covering the tragedy.

I caught up with Tim Fehlbaum to chat about the making of September 5, from the importance of telling this story through an authentic lens to the responsibilities of the news media, and to find out why the movie's themes remain so powerful and resonant, even though it's been over 50 years since these events transpired.

Given the recent conflicts in the Middle East, there's something very timely about September 5, even though it deals with something that happened over half a century ago. Can you talk about how the idea to tell this particular angle on history came about, and why you wanted to make this film?

Fehlbaum: We had generally researched on that day in Munich and what happened, and we then had learned what an important role, actually, the media played on that day. So we had a conversation with the real Geoffrey Mason — the character that John Magaro plays — and listening to his stories for the first time, I think that was the initial moment where we thought maybe we could tell the story entirely from that perspective. And I think, in a way, even for today's climate it is a very relevant perspective on how we consume news.

The movie also serves as a reminder about the daunting responsibility placed upon the shoulders of the news media. And it's a topic that has come up time and time again, especially in this era of social media and how it has allowed for the rise of fake news, misinformation and citizen reporting. How important was it for you to have that aspect of the film placed equally at the forefront of the narrative?

Fehlbaum: For me, the interesting thing is you mentioned these technologies that we are having today; like everybody has a TV and a camera in their pocket, but what struck me was that even though the technology has changed, I think some of the bigger moral questions that you face if reporting on a crisis are probably still the same. So maybe today technology's faster, but these delimiters, I would say, are still similar.

In terms of the look and feel of the movie, it really feels true to that time in history. Can you speak about the effort that went into imbuing the film with that level of authenticity?

Fehlbaum: It was really important for me that actually the technology [used in the movie] feels authentic. Ultimately, our film is a movie about the media, and the media ultimately is communication via devices. So I thought if you make a movie about that turning point in media history, all of that technology that they use has to be 100% accurate. And we spent a lot of research on that. Julian R. Wagner, the production designer, and his team did a tremendous effort on getting all these technological devices into our studio, and even made them work. Because for me, it was important that actually the cast could interact with these devices, that when they would push a button that it actually had an effect on the screens. I wanted to have that feeling so that we could shoot it almost as if we ourselves could be a documentary team in the room observing these people.

Of course, the film is full of harrowing scenes and dramatic moments. But is there a scene that stands out for you, personally, as the most memorable?

Fehlbaum: Actually, the very first shooting day when we shot Peter Sarsgaard's character covering the swim race with Mark Spitz was just so amazing, because that was the first day that everything came together, everything worked. We had these images on the monitors, we had this room full of these wonderful extras that we had — these background actors and actresses that were constantly there. And for the first time we had that whole machine working. Just seeing that was an amazing feeling, and I really felt transported back in time.

Last but not least, what do you hope viewers will take away from September 5?

Fehlbaum: What I would want the audience to take away from our movie, I think — if we provide a way for the understanding of the importance, but also the complexity of journalism, and also make people reflect on our own consumption of news, I think then that's already a lot that we achieved.
September 5 is in theaters January 17th.




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