Murderball (film)

Murderball is a 2005 American documentary film about physically disabled athletes who play wheelchair rugby. It centers on the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Games. It was directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, and produced by Jeffrey V. Mandel and Shapiro. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the 78th Academy Awards. Murderball was the first MTV film released through ThinkFilm as well as Participant Media.

Murderball was shot on a low budget. The main camera used was a Panasonic AGDVX100 a Sony PD150 was used to shoot some of the early interviews. The crew rigged a Sennheiser shotgun microphone to use as a boom, and relied heavily on Lavaliere wireless microphones as well. Available lighting was used almost exclusively. Additional light was provided using an inexpensive china ball. In one example of onthespot lighting, a flashlight was diffused using only a napkin.Murderball garnered almost universally positive reviews it currently holds a 98 fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus An entertaining and gripping documentary that shows being confined to a wheelchair doesnt mean the fun has to end. This film is alsoon the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies. Murderball also received positive reviews from Hollywood.com and Roger Ebert, who said This is one of those rare docs, like Hoop Dreams, where life provides a better ending than the filmmakers could have hoped for. ........

Source: Wikipedia