Harry Jerome : l'homme le plus rapide du monde

Never, ever give up. Canadian Harry Jerome overcame racism to reach the heights of track-and-field success. When an injury threatened to end his career, Jerome trained diligently and went on to achieve one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. Made especially for elementary and middle-school classes, this film features two young students who guide us through Jerome's life, the challenges he faced and his legacy-which includes the Harry Jerome International Track Classic, an event that brings together youth and adults in a celebration of track and youth fitness. Learn more about how you can use this film in the classroom and explore themes of heroism, leadership and community building through the accompanying educator's guide: Harry Jerome: The Fastest Man on Earth. Visit NFB.ca/education to download the Harry Jerome educator's guide. (Harry Jerome is based on the feature documentary Mighty Jerome, written and directed by Charles Officer.)

En 1959, Harry Jerome est le sprinteur le plus prometteur du Canada : à 19 ans, il se prépare à participer aux Jeux olympiques de Rome. En 1962, une grave blessure à la jambe laisse supposer qu'il ne pourra plus jamais courir. Mais Jerome est un véritable champion, tant sur la piste que dans la vie, et il entreprend alors ce que son entraîneur, le légendaire Bill Bowerman, a qualifié de « plus grand retour de l'histoire de l'athlétisme ». Pendant des années marquées par les bouleversements politiques, les conflits raciaux et les problèmes personnels, il travaille avec acharnement et court sur les pistes du monde, faisant preuve d'une force de caractère et d'une détermination aussi impressionnantes que les records qu'il a établis en athlétisme. Le cinéaste Charles Officer recourt à de magnifiques images monochromes, aux entrevues passionnées et aux séquences d'archives impressionnantes pour relater la glorieuse histoire de ce sprinteur hors du commun, depuis ses débuts à North Vancouver jusqu'à sa mort prématurée, en passant par trois participations aux Olympiques et des records longtemps inégalés. Des membres de sa famille, des amis et des coéquipiers évoquent le souvenir d'un homme qui a changé à jamais le paysage sportif canadien et marqué le monde d'une empreinte indélébile. Fascinant, étonnant et trépidant, Le grand Jerome enthousiasmera les fervents de sport, les férus d'histoire et tous ceux et celles qui apprécient les récits de courage et d'accomplissement. Inspiré du livre Running Uphill: The Fast, Short Life of Canadian Champion Harry Jerome de Fil Fraser.

In 1959, at just nineteen years of age, Harry Jerome was Canada'smost promising track and field star and he was on his way to the Olympics in Rome. By 1962, after suffering a gruesome leg injury, there was every reason to think that his racing days were over. But Jerome was not just a champion on the track; he was doubly determined off it. And so began his climb to what his coach, the legendary Bill Bowerman, called "the greatest comeback in track and field history." Through years of unparalleled political turbulence, racial conflict and his own personal challenges, Harry Jerome kept his head down and ran, displaying strength of character and willful perseverance every bit as impressive as his record-setting athleticism. Filmmaker Charles Officer uses gorgeous monochrome imagery, impassioned interviews and astonishing archival footage to tell the runner's triumphant story, from his early days in North Vancouver, through his three Olympics and his unequalled streak of records, to his sudden and tragically premature death. Family, friends and teammates recall a man who forever changed the Canadian sports landscape and made an indelible mark upon the world. Compelling, surprising and urgently paced, Mighty Jerome will electrify sports fans, history buffs and all those with an appreciation for tales of courage and redemption. Inspired by the book Running Uphill, The Fast, Short Life of Canadian Champion Harry Jerome by Fil Fraser.