Seen as part of the London 2012 Festival programme of four short films, together with Max and Dania's What If?, Lynne Ramsay's Swimmer and Mike Leighs A Running Jump.
The Odyssey is a documentary short about London between 2005, when it was awarded the Olympic Games, and 2012, with the games due to take place a month or so after the film's release. It juxtaposes aerial views from across the city with the voices of a variety of people, some famous, some ordinary, talking about a broad range of topics, from the Olympics itself to the terrorist bombings which occurred the day after the result of the bid was announced, the 2008 Financial collapse, the effects of the subsequent austerity measures and the spiralling costs of putting on the games, and the riots of 2011. There are also clips from past Olympics and people talking about the moments from them which made an impact.
This is no simple glorification of the Olympics movement or London, the views represented offer a cross section of opinion, giving a rounded view of the good and the bad sides of London and Londoners and varying perspectives on the events of the past seven years. The aerial shots of the city, and in some cases the events being discussed, serve as a fascinating backdrop to the views being expressed. Well worth seeing.
