Over the Limit

Margarita Mamun is on Russia's rhythmic gymnastics team and preparing for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It is the most important year of her career and her last chance at a gold medal. The documentary follows the training for a year: the gym, repetition, correction, shouting. Her coaches want more from her and tell her at the same time that nothing is enough. Marta Prus's Polish production got permission to bring a camera into the gym and offers almost no commentary. Even so, what it shows caused argument: the way the coaches treat the athlete looked to many viewers like emotional abuse. The film does not present this as an accusation, it leaves it as it is. Mamun won the gold medal in Rio.