GWENDOLYN

Gwendolyn is in her mid-sixties, barely weighs 52 kg and is a three-time world champion in weightlifting. Battling an aggressive form of cancer, the retired anthropologist should really take a step back, but this is far from what Gwendolyn has in mind. She is training to become world champion once again. Supported by her devoted trainer Pat, her son Joseph and her husband Charlie, 20 years her junior, her fight against physical and personal limits begins.

"I met Gwendolyn through a friend; I had told her I was looking for a woman weightlifter, and she knew Gwendolyn personally. When I first got in touch with Gwendolyn it was just before her second big operation for cancer, so it was by no means certain that she would want to meet me at all. But in fact she invited me to her home for a meal. It was a long evening, and she told me lots of stories. The day after her operation I went to see her in hospital. Although she was weak, and she had a large scar on her throat, she was able to joke with her son over the phone. I was very moved by this courageous woman whose sense of humour didn't desert her, even at a moment like that. That’s when it became clear to me that I wanted to make a film with her."

Ruth Kaaserer for AustrianFilms.com