Fifteen-year old Sabine (Louise Szpindel) is obsessed with running. She dreams of winning in the Olympics. Her heroes are top athletes and just seeing them perform well can bring tears to her eyes. She and her two best friends, Fatia (Dora Jamaa) and Dani (Nina Meurisse), are training for a track and field competition. Although her coach (Jean-Francois Stevenin) admires her determination, he is put off by her lack of attention to form and style. All of her energy goes into winning. Sabine also thinks that he is more interested in the male athletes. Everyone's eyes are on Rudy (Guillaume Gouix), a new teenager who runs very fast in the 800 meters race. Although she doesn't have time for boys, Sabine is interested in this newcomer, who is very relaxed.

This riveting Swiss film, written and directed by Ursula Meier, does a remarkable job exploring how zeal in an athlete can lead to a diminished life rather than a rich and rewarding one. Sabine gets up in the morning and does push-ups and sit-ups. She forces Fatia to use a hidden camera to record her race so she'll have a better idea of what she is doing right and what she is doing wrong. When the coach gets a whiff of what's going on, Sabine claims that Fatia's foot hurts, and she is ordered to take three days off; she reacts by moving out of Sabine's room. Dani has troubles of her own, a mental block that has made her unable to clear the high jump bar — a requirement in competition.

Sabine's mother (Anne Coesens) doesn't understand her daughter's obsession with running, and she's somewhat taken aback by her lack of interest in clothes, fashion, and the things that other girls care about. Sabine's father (Max Ruedlinger) tries to communicate with her but she wants him to stay out of her life. That's why her visit to Rudy's house is so surprising. Although they share a love of running, neither of them has had any romantic experiences before. The true nature of Sabine's sexual interest in Rudy is a shocker but suffice it to say, it goes right along with her treatment of her coach, Fatia, and her father.

Strong Shoulders is a cautionary tale about the dangers of obsession and the ways in which it can lead to a very unbalanced and empty life. Or as Lao Tzu once put it: "Going to extremes is never best for it you made a blade too sharp, it will become dull too quickly."

Where and When?


Screened at the New Directors/New Films Festival, March/April 2004, New York City