
When Paula Radcliffe retires from marathon running after this year's London race, Britain will wave goodbye to the most successful sportswoman of her generation. Few athletes have experienced such a contrast in emotions as Paula, whose World Record for the marathon has already stood for more than a decade and is likely to last many years more. But her disappointment at failing to win an expected gold at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 may also be remembered by many. This film offers rare access to Paula and her trainer and husband Gary Lough, discovering what drove her to become the greatest female marathon runner of all time.
Paul and Paula have had bad experiences with love: Paul is financially well off but has lost all affection for his wife, and Paula leads a troublesome life raising two children on her own. They meet and discover a strong passion for each other. Life seems like a dream when they're together - but their short flights from the burdens of reality are once and again interrupted by Paul's ties to family and career. The film was banned on GDR TV after the emigration of both stars to FRG. It's still considered one of the most successful movies ever made in East Germany.
Ein erfrischend unterhaltsamer und offener Film, der Traum und Wirklichkeit, Poesie und banale Alltagsrealität mischt und mit Spaß, Ironie und Ernst künstlerisch entfaltet. Der schauspielerisch beachtliche Film macht durch seine grotesken Übersteigerungen deutlich, dass den Menschen auch in der realsozialistischen Gesellschaft das Glück nicht von vornherein in die Wiege gelegt wird. Sowohl das emotionale als auch das kritische Potential des Films, nicht zuletzt sein Plädoyer für Individualität und die Kraft der Träume, sorgten in der DDR für einen anhaltenden Publikumserfolg.