The Gymnasts

The coming-of-age series “The Gymnasts” is set in the world of gymnastics. It is based on the novel “Corpo Libero” by Ilaria Bernardini. It focuses on both the longing to grow up and the fear of doing so. It is the story of a sport that celebrates the lightness and flight of bodies, but is based on paramilitary drill, strict discipline and personal sacrifice.

“The Gymnasts” is a co-production of Indigo Film and Network Movie, made in association with ZDF Studios GmbH, in co-production with ZDFneo, in association with RAI Fiction, Paramount+, All3Media International and co-financed by Creative Europe Programme – Media Of The European Union.

Co-Producers Note Bettina Wente:

When the reel of “The Gymnasts” was shown in Lille in 2019 as part of the “Series-Mania” pitching, the room was flashed. Even then, it was palpable what was actually redeemed in the work on the project: the force of the material and the cinematographic power of its creators. For this series, Carlotta Carlori of Indigo Film and her producers took the risk of working with absolute non-professionals: all the girls are gymnasts, but none of them had ever been in front of the camera before. The directors didn’t impose the roles on the young girls, but worked them out together with the athletes and mirrored the result of this process to the writers, so that persona and role could get closer and closer.

We are delighted that the series will now be presented exclusively on ZDFneo in Germany. And we hope that many more such European co-productions will follow as part of the European Alliance.