Production firm to screen film on Uganda's first Olympic medalist
The Sheffield-based production house will screen 'The John Akii Bua Story - An African Tragedy', at the National Theater in Kampala, Crispin Buxton, a producer of the film, said at a press conference this week
The film, directed by Daniel Gordon, producer and director at VeryMuchSo Productions, reveals Akii Bua's life, as an athlete, a father and a police officer and his fight to survive during the regime of the late Idi Amin, the former Uganda dictator. The film will be screened in Lira district, the hurdler's hometown in northern Uganda and will be the first time the British company premiers the 89 minute film in Africa.
Record-breaking moment
At the Munich Olympics of 1972, Akii Bua, powered round the inside lane in the 400m hurdles, past David Hemery, the English reigning Olympic Champion of the time, winning the gold medal. The Ugandan finished 10 meters clear of Hemery, clocking a record 47.82 seconds. He became the first African to win gold in an event under 800 metres and was also the first man to break the 48 seconds barrier in the 400 metre hurdles.
According to the filmmakers, the movie was first broadcast on BBC Two during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. During the same year, the film was also screened at the 15th Sheffield International DocFest.
VeryMuchSo have produced titles including: The Game of Their Lives...The greatest shock in World Cup history (2002); A State of Mind (2004), a documentary following the lives of two young gymnasts; Crossing The Line: The story of Comrade Joe (2006), the story of the last American defector in North Korea; and The Flapping Track (2007), an insight into the world of greyhound racing.