Our take
Another fantastic documentary from 2012, this one tells the remarkable story of the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic Men’s Basketball team that received scant attention in the shadow of the renowned U.S. “Dream Team” of NBA superstars (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, etc.). The Lithuanians’ story is all the more fascinating in that it comes immediately on the heels of their country’s freedom from Communist rule. With little hope of participating in the Barcelona games, they received the most unlikely last-minute assistance from the Grateful Dead, of all sources. A really great true-life story, told with an exuberance and a verve not often expected from non-fiction filmmaking. I challenge anyone watch this one and walk away uninspired.
What it won
Sundance
1 nom
The story
The incredible story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team, whose athletes struggled under Soviet rule, became symbols of Lithuania's independence movement, and – with help from the Grateful Dead – triumphed at the Barcelona Olympics.
Elsewhere
"An uplifting docu from longtime producer and first-time director Marius Markevicius about the nation's unique love affair with basketball."
— Robert Koehler
The details
Who picked it
Jamie Rutherford is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, with film reviews spanning a wide range of genres and eras. Their work on the site has covered titles from Behind the Candelabra to Last Days in Vietnam to Love is Strange.
