The documentary “Rising Phoenix” opens with triumphant imagery: stone statues of Paralympians in a dim room, illuminated by beams of light. In voice-over, a competitor compares his fellow athletes to Marvel’s Avengers; like the characters, they excelled in the face of adversity. This image, of Paralympians as reborn superheroes, is central to the film’s facile portrait of the Paralympic Games. The documentary (streaming on Netflix) makes its case by spotlighting a series of Paralympic athletes. Many were bullied or othered because of their disabilities, and used athletic prowess as a vector for power.

Source: New York Times August 26, 2020 17:03 UTC