‘September 5’ Cast On The Ethics Of Journalism And Impact Of Breaking News

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The Munich Olympics in 1972 transitioned instantly from a time of unity to a moment of fear when several members of Israel’s delegation were held hostage by a Palestinian militant group. The movie September 5 aims to immerse viewers in the experience of those who covered the event as it unfolded.

Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum spoke with cast members, including Peter Sarsgaard, Leonie Benesch and John Magaro about the film.

Benesch described the movie as “unique,” explaining that she was drawn to the project because of its timeliness in examining our current relationship with the news.

“The reason why I think this story is worth telling again [is] because it raises questions that have lost zero of their relevance. [They] are very much the same questions that we should be asking ourselves today when it comes to breaking news and reading news and consuming news,” Benesch said.

Magaro, who portrays ABC sports producer Geoffrey Mason—the man who captured the breaking news—said he learned more about the 1972 Olympics through director Tim Fehlbaum’s approach to storytelling.

“I was sort of aware of what happened in Munich. You know, we’ve seen the movies, but like Leonie says, it was unique. And I think that’s a testament to Tim,” he said. “When he went into this, he was originally going to tell a much grander story about the police and about the athletes and about this and that and these things…Through their conversations with the real Geoff Mason…they realized that there was something very interesting in the news angle of it. And, you know, I’m a sucker for a good journalism story, and I think this shares a very unique and pivotal moment in broadcast journalism history.”

Magaro also addressed the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, offering a reflection on how news consumption impacts public understanding.

”This is not about solving the thousand-year-old crisis that is still going on and the tragedy that is just constant every day,” he said. “We don’t have that answer; I don’t have that answer. But what I do want to question is how I consume that crisis nowadays. It is me seeing, you know, children in bombings and innocent people being killed on both sides. Is seeing the violent nature of that daily making me make good decisions? Is it making me more informed about the tragedies I’m witnessing, or is it making me desensitized? I watch it and then, you know, we cut to commercial break and I’m being sold a washer [and] dryer. Like, I don’t know if that’s healthy. So I hope people ask those questions.”

Watch the full interview below. September 5 is in theaters now.

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