Town of Runners Review
By David Kempler
Don't Run to See It
In Bekoji, Ethiopia, the entire community either works in the fields or strives to be an internationally famous runner, with the ultimate goal being to make it to the Olympics. Even though it's a relatively small village, it has produced many Olympic champion long-distance runners. "Town of Runners" shows us the formula that brings these results, but primarily focuses on two young ladies who might be headed to superstardom.
Director Jerry Rothwell uses a technique similar to what we saw in "Hoop Dreams", the brilliant documentary that followed two young men in the Chicago area that could be NBA-bound. However, "Town of Runners" lacks the impact and power of its basketball counterpart.
Lots of time is spent exploring Bekoji, our two girls heading off to separate training camps, and finally a championship meet for the entire region. If you think the kids in "Hoop Dreams" had to overcome poverty of sorts, it pales in comparison to what these two young ladies are up against. Yet, at no time does the temperature rise here to the point of exciting us. I know it's intended to be a heart-pounding struggle to make it, but it's more of a sluggish obstacle course that never gets your blood boiling in any particular direction.
"Town of Runners" is nice to look at and features a few moments of minimal excitement and in-depth examination of the inner workings of sports in Ethiopia, but it can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be about competition or an exposé of the underpinnings of what makes it so very difficult to succeed. I wouldn't run to see this one, and I'm not certain I would even recommend walking.
