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Film: A truly heartwarming film for all you joggers out there!

Date
6 December 2013

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I’ve mentioned liminal spaces recently on It’s Nice That, but this short documentary by Matan Rochlitz and Ivo Gormley is the perfect example of just how powerful they can be. The Runners follows the two filmmakers as they travel around London’s Victoria park, interviewing seasoned joggers as they pace their routes.

Liberated from all sense of responsibility as the runners are, the interviews quickly progress to deeply intimate topics; one woman divulges secrets about her sex life, while others broach the private subjects of mental health, family members and ageing with the strangers they are being interviewed by. It’s an extraordinary demonstration of the thinking time running can provide, and the complete trust which can occur between strangers with the help of anonymity. This is filmmaking at its absolute simplest and most emotive – and if anything is going to have you itching to lace up your trainers and hit the pavement then this is it.

A person in a navy and white sports top jogs along a damp road in a park. Bare winter trees and a stone plinth stand against a grey sky. A caption below reads, “That’s when what’s called a “nervous breakdown” comes in.”
Above

Matan Rochlitz and Ivo Gormley: The Runners

A person in a red jacket and blue leggings runs along a dark pavement. White subtitles at the bottom of the frame read “Yeah but they don’t want to marry me.”
Above

Matan Rochlitz and Ivo Gormley: The Runners

A person wearing a black tracksuit and headphones walks along a path in a residential area. A caption at the bottom of the frame reads “He’s the most important thing in my life, man.”
Above

Matan Rochlitz and Ivo Gormley: The Runners

A person in a dark hoodie and shorts runs towards the camera along a wet, paved path. Bare trees line the route under a grey sky, with another figure walking in the distance. White text at the bottom reads “Don’t try to make excuses for the fact you’re feeling bad.”
Above

Matan Rochlitz and Ivo Gormley: The Runners

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

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Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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