Going the Distance

Being someone who doesn't live in a commonwealth country, I don't pay attention to the Commonwealth Games. That made Paul Cowan's Academy Award-nominated "Going the Distance" even more of a treat. It's a 90-minute documentary about the XI Commonwealth Games, which got held in Edmonton in 1978. The documentary focuses on a variety of athletes - divers, runners, cyclists - from an assortment of places (Kenya, New Zealand, Isle of Man). There's also a coach who's a total jerk. There will be champions and also-rans, failures and successes, but the games must go on. It looks like one fun experience.

While you might think that it's impossible to find this documentary, it's available on the National Film Board of Canada's YouTube channel. I wish that all the Academy Award-nominated documentaries and shorts were available on YouTube if they're not going to be available on video or DVD.