In Theaters 10.12.2018 or Watch at Home 03.12.2019

Over The Limit

Directed by Marta Prus
Film Movement
2017
73 Minutes
Poland, Germany
Russian
Documentary, Sports
No Rating
  1. Home
  2. In Theaters
  3. Over The Limit

Superstar rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun has reached a crucial moment in her career. At the age of twenty, she is soon to retire but has one final goal: winning Olympic gold. As Margarita pushes her body to its breaking point, Irina Viner-Usmanova, her strict coach, assails her with caustic, withering critiques. Is Irina a merciless tyrant or the motivating guidance Margarita needs to fulfill her dreams? This nail-biting, behind-the-scenes documentary looks at the grueling Russian system for training athletes and the intense physical and mental labor put into a sport that thrives on its beautiful aesthetics.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Marta Prus
  • Starring: Margarita Mamun
  • Starring: Irina Viner
  • Starring: Yana Kudryavtseva

Where to Watch

Streaming Apple TV Amazon Fandango At Home Google Play

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "With her first feature-length documentary Over the Limit, Polish writer-director Marta Prus does for rhythmic gymnastics what Damien Chazelle did for drumming in Whiplash."
    Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter
  • "[A] darkly dazzling achievement. The tight, tense result surely ranks among the great modern sports docs."
    Guy Lodge, Variety
  • "...thoroughly engaging, an intense and emotional look at one athlete’s relationship to her sport."
    Pat Brown, Slant Magazine
  • "harrowing and thoroughly captivating"
    Ben Croll, Screen Daily
  • "CRITIC'S PICK. Rather than shape an angry exposé, Prus, herself a former gymnast, recognizes and embraces the Cinderella-like appeal of Mamun’s punishing journey. "
    Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York TImes
  • "Over the Limit is a film about passion and art. It is a film about what drives us, beyond logic and comfort. "
    Chelsea Phillips-Carr, POV Magazine
  • "Margarita Mamun’s road to the Olympic gold medal is portrayed in a stunningly, exquisitely beautiful way that celebrates one of the most unlikely heroines of the sport. The film creates 74 minutes of gripping drama – it is probably only one slice of the truth (though honestly, who’d be interested in watching trainings where everything is smooth?), but it’s one of the most important works portraying RG."
    Gergely Marosi, Rhythmic Gymnastics
  • "**** (4 stars) [Marta Prus's] directorial hand is minimal and thus elegant. Mamun’s daily nightmare seems more real than any Hollywood rendition could be."
    Paolo Kagaoan, In the Seats
  • "An intimate portrait of an athlete defying her own limits in order to conquer a respectful place among the finalists for the Olympics, documentarian Marta Prus’s sophomore feature is a brilliant examination on human resistance and eagerness. Triumphant! "
    Roger Costa, Brazilian Press
Winner
Best Feature
Krakow Film Festival
Winner
Best Director
Krakow Film Festival
Official Selection
IDFA Amsterdam
Official Selection
Moscow Int'l. Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection
Goteborg Film Festival
Official Selection
One World Prague