The controversial film about the 1936 Olympic Games, published by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, is now followed by the apology. “We apologize to those who feel offended by the film of the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936,” the IOC wrote on its official Twitter channel.
The museum in the former German Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp had also responded. “For two weeks, the Nazi dictatorship camouflaged its racist, militaristic character,” said a verified message from the Auschwitz Museum. “It used the games to impress foreign viewers with a picture of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.”
In addition to the Olympic flame, the film also featured footage of Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in Berlin, and Luz Long. Owens had given the Nazi regime a “resounding lesson” and shattered the “despicable fascist claims of racial superiority,” wrote the IOC.
The blonde German Long and the black American Owens not only fought an epic duel in the long jump final. They also shook hands – an image of horror for the Nazi regime. “The story of Jesse Owens and Luz Long is an iconic, historic moment in which the spirit of fraternity was demonstrated at the highest level,” said one of the IOC statements.
However, responses on social media indicate that the film was not perceived as such, the IOC wrote. However, the images were chosen to convey the message of unity and solidarity. “Those for the Berlin 1936 Olympics were specifically chosen for this purpose, not to celebrate this edition of the games,” wrote the IOC.
