Erik(A)

A conventional documentary about Austrian Alpine Erika Schinegger who was a champion skier in the 1960s. In 1968 Olympic officials discovered in a test that Erika was a chromosomally male and, therefore, no longer eligible to ski in women’s competitions. In this film, concerning memories and still current gender issues, the director interviews now-called Erik, as well as teammates, the mother, sport officials, and doctors, to report the rise and fall of the pride of Austria. It is amazing that the present-day Erik is such a balanced, friendly, charismatic individual, considering how narrow-minded and insular the people in his community were at that time. The film is full of 1960s, black-and-white home films which makes it both authentic as well as slow and tedious, although this is a pertinent topic even today. A fascinating chapter of Austria’s history of sports.