The story Jesse Owens begins on NITV

The headline of Jesse Owens’ life always mentions the four gold medals he won in track and field events at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, which crushed Nazi German notions of Aryan superiority. But the real story of his life neither begins nor ends with that victory, and a documentary airing on NITV explores Owens’ life before and after.

Jesse Owens (R) and German champion Luz Long (L) chat together on the Berlin stadium 01 August 1936. Source: AFP

Jesse Owens

Sunday, 20 September 8:30pm, NITV

Watch it now at SBS On Demand

PG

USA, 2011

Director: Laurens Grant

Narrator: Andre Braugher

What's it about?

The headline of Jesse Owens’ life always mentions the four gold medals he won in track and field events at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, which crushed Nazi German notions of Aryan superiority. But the real story of his life neither begins nor ends with that victory, and a documentary airing on NITV explores Owens’ life before and after.