Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Q&A with directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, moderated by Addie Morfoot

The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horseriding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

After becoming quadriplegic. he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care, all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera, and dedicating himself to his beloved family.

From the directors of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this film includes never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary trove of personal archive material, as well as the first extended interviews ever filmed with Reeve’s three children about their father, and interviews with the A-list Hollywood actors who were Reeve’s colleagues and friends. The film is a moving and vivid cinematic telling of Reeve’s remarkable story.

"One of the aspects that makes Super/Man so satisfying is that for a biographical film in which tragedy and loss play such a central part, it’s rich in evidence of hope and kindness, gratitude and the resilience of the human spirit."
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story paints a rich portrait of Reeve as an individual, celebrity, activist, and family man, bolstered by commentary from his children and friends and, additionally, from Reeve himself."
Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

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Q&A with directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, moderated by Addie Morfoot
Q&A with directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, moderated by Addie Morfoot
Wednesday, Jul. 17 2024, 7:15
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Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s creative partnership began with McQueen (2018), the theatrical feature documentary they wrote and directed about the iconic fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Described as “supremely engrossing and elegant” by Variety, the film was nominated for two BAFTAs (Best British Film and Documentary). Rising Phoenix (2020) told the thrilling story of the Paralympic movement, which rose from the ashes of the Second World War, transforming attitudes toward disability, and it became the world’s third biggest sporting event. Released globally by Netflix, the film won two Emmys. Before embarking on their latest film, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Peter, and Ian also created, and executive produced Kingdom of Dreams, the hit four-part docuseries about the seductive but sinister world of luxury fashion for Sky and Fremantle. Prior to working with Peter, Bonhôte co-founded Pulse Films in 2005 alongside Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford, directing music videos and commercials for clients such as Puma, Nike, Pepsi, Mumford & Sons, Tom Jones, and fashion designers Matthew Williamson and Hussein Chalayan. After 13 years at Pulse, the company was sold to Vice Media, and Ian left to set up Misfits Entertainment with Andee Ryder. He made his feature film directorial debut with Alleycats (2016), a London-based thriller that was distributed internationally by Universal Pictures in over 25 territories. Apart from Bonhôte’s non-fiction collaborations with Ettedgui, Misfits has also produced the scripted action adventure film Viking Destiny (2019), starring Terence Stamp, and The Contestant (2023), set in the world of 1990s Japanese reality TV, which TIFF’s Thom Powers described as “the most WTF story in this year’s documentary selection.” Ettedgui began his career as a screenwriter, whose screenplays include the BAFTA-nominated Onegin (1998, directed by Martha Fiennes), an adaptation of Pushkin’s classic tale of unrequited love, starring Ralph Fiennes and Liv Tyler. He went on to produce films such as Kinky Boots (2005, directed by Julian Jarrold), starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, which subsequently became a Tony-winning Broadway musical, and Unmade Beds (2009, directed by Alexis Dos Santos) – both of which received their world premieres at Sundance. Listen to Me, Marlon (2015, directed by Stevan Riley) – a biography of Marlon Brando told through the actor’s personal audio archives – also premiered at Sundance and was Peter’s introduction to the world of non-fiction film-making, for which he received a Peabody Award and an Independent Documentary Award for best writing in a documentary.

This film is part of the Talking Docs with Addie Morfoot series.



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