Overview
Munich, September 5, 1972, the tenth day of competition at the Summer Olympics. For the first time since 1936, the event was being held in Germany again, and the plan was to present the "cheerful games" to show the world an image of a new, liberal Germany. But at 4.40 a.m., the early morning team from the American broadcaster ABC heard gunshots from the nearby Olympic Village. A group of Palestinian terrorists has taken eleven members of the Israeli team hostage. Against the resistance of its own reporters, the ABC sports team reports live on the 21-hour hostage-taking.
The story is told from the perspective of Geoff (John Magaro) , a young, ambitious producer who wants to prove himself to his boss, the legendary Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). With the help of German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) , Geoff unexpectedly takes over the management of the live broadcast. With time running out, rumors swirling and the hostages' lives hanging in the balance, Geoff is faced with the challenge of making difficult decisions and coming to terms with his own moral compass. How do you report on a situation like this when the perpetrators have exploited the media attention for their own ends?