Agon

Forget the John Williams fanfare, the A.I. advertisements, the kiss-and-cry reaction shots and the Snoop Dogg interludes: Agon is an Italian Olympic story straight out of the muscular nationalism that birthed the modern games at the turn of the 20th century. Set during the run-up to the fictional Ludoj Olympics of 2024 (“ludoj” is Esperanto for “games”), it follows three competitors in conspicuously martial sports: shooting, fencing, and judo. They’re played by Sofija Zobina and Yile Vianello, both recently seen in Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, and real-life judoka Alice Bellandi, reigning world and Olympic champion in the women’s -78 kg class. Following the classical and psychoanalytic implications of its title, Agon is concerned with the essence of competition in the abstract, following the athletes through their mostly solitary, frequently punishing training in process-oriented sequences that take on the air of ritual. First-time feature director Giulio Bertelli shows how the athletes’ preparation is dominated by technologies, from arthroscopic surgery footage to simulators to video games, suggesting the dehumanization of vulnerable bodies inside the global behemoth that is modern organized sport. Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize and Luciano Sovena Award for best independent production at Venice Critics’ Week. A MUBI release.