The NO LIMITS film by Stereoscreen Productions could be one of the greatest motivational motorsport documentaries of the year. The film made its debut in November at various film festivals, picking up many well deserved awards. This hour long documentary will be available on Vimeo as a Video on Demand in 4K ultra high definition worldwide on February 1.
It is difficult enough for endurance racing teams to setup a car that suits the driving habits of three different drivers, but how much harder would it be to setup a car for three drivers, one of which has a physical disability? The film follows the journey of three drivers taking part in the 2015 Total Spa 24 Hours event at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Blancpain Endurance Series using a Pro Cup classed BMW Z4 GT3 for the ROAL Motorsport team. The drivers are ex-Formula One driver, Timo Glock; touring car champion, Bruno Spengler; and Alex Zanardi, an ex-Formula One driver and CART champion.
Zanardi, the star of the film, is a leg-amputee who lost both of his legs in a near fatal accident at EuroSpeedway Lausitz during a 2001 CART racing event. Despite his serious injuries, this medical miracle is ready to tackle one of the most famous endurance racing events in the motor racing world, proving that you can do anything that you put your mind to and that “impossible is just a word”.
The documentary provides a fairly equal presentation of both the preparation for the event, as well as the event itself. Roughly half of the film gives insight on how difficult it is to prepare a car for an endurance race and the final half demonstrates the challenges that you need to overcome to be successful in the race. In addition, the crew also follows up with Zanardi’s handbike event a few days after the race is complete.
“It has been an unforgettable experience. We spent more than three month with Alex and the team,” Tim Hahne, the director, explained. “The entire project kept us busy for nine month, taught us the real meaning of the word ‘willpower’ and made us deal with about 15 terabyte of 6K raw material that we’ve been shooting with our Red Epic Dragon. Our small crew was really happy to be invited to several film festivals and present NO LIMITS to a broader film-loving audience.”
This motor racing documentary is among one of the best that I have ever watched. The stunning ultrahigh definition footage, combined with some simply spectacular camera angles, will make you feel like you are right there in the film. The additional radio communications from the car completes the whole motorsport film experience, along with a soundtrack that helps to express the mood of the particular scene.
One of the most amazing shots in the film was when Zanardi climbs out of the car after completing one of his stints and you can see the condensation rising out of his body and into the cool Belgian air (pictured left). This shot is a testament to how marvelous the filmography of this documentary is. It’s shots like these that help the audience to imagine what the protagonists in this movie are experiencing and helps to enrich their viewing experience.
Along with the action on the track, the film crew has also provided the audience with a glimpse of Zanardi’s life outside of the racing car. This includes life at his home, as well as scenes of him preparing his handbike for the Handcycle World Championship in Switzerland four days after the 24 hour race. Despite the fact that Zanardi is the main star of the film, the crew also provided some scenes of Glock and Spengler’s lives off of the track. This is great because all too often the main star massively overshadows the other people in a movie.
English viewers should be aware that Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler’s interview segments are not in English, so there will be some subtitle reading required. However, this isn’t really a negative thing, as it helps to prove how multicultural and global a sport motor racing is. The film also features a recorded segment with David Addison, a television commentator and the voice of the Blancpain Endurance Series.
The biggest downside to this documentary film as that there is virtually no background information about any of the drivers. The film starts eight weeks prior to the race, so it just sort of hops right into the story without providing viewers with the information in a prologue that would help them to truly appreciate the storyline. That’s not to say that you cannot enjoy the film if you don’t know anything about Zanardi, but it would be much better if you did know. That’s why I suggest that you do a bit of research prior to watching the film to find out the miraculous story of Alex Zanardi and perhaps some information about his teammates, Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler. Although, Zanardi’s story is quite well known in the world of motor racing, so many motorsport fans that would watch this film probably are already aware of his story.
Overall, NO LIMITS was a very well-produced documentary that would be enjoyed by not only motorsport fans, but other people interested in seeing an inspirational and motivational film. Alex Zanardi is one of the most courageous faces in motorsport and this film highlights that astonishingly well. There aren’t many bad things that you can say about this film. I would definitely recommend watching it when becomes available in February. Nine out of ten stars in my book.
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