Chasing The Line

It’s 1976 and this is the story of Franz Klammer, “The Kaiser” and the most famous downhill race in the history of the sport. Barely 22, Franz Klammer finds himself at the “eye of the storm” when he shows up for the men’s downhill competition at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. It was the most watched ski race in the history of the sport with over 25 million watching on ABC in the United States alone. In Austria it was a national holiday and all eyes were glued to the TV.

Since the previous season the charismatic newcomer has won virtually every race. The pressure from the media and the public and the hopes of an entire nation are off the scales. His sponsor is pushing him to switch equipment right before the competition, the weather is getting steadily worse, and his toughest rivals know that Franz has to do better than just a flawless run. Franz senses that he has to find his own path and that only the love of his life can give him the strength to do that. This is the most important race of his life in which he skis a line that nobody even thought was possible, which made him a legend of the sport, to this day.

Packed with thrilling race sequences and set over several days leading up to the contest, this passionate film explores Klammer’s journey in forging his own identity as an athlete. Director Andreas Schmied’s feel-good biopic provides a highly entertaining look behind the scenes of professional sports and shows Klammer as a rebel against the commercialization of skiing.