Although Turkey’s history of gymnastics dates back to the 1860s, the sport remained largely invisible in the country until recent years. A series of achievements in the 2010s changed that, leading to four gymnasts from İzmir qualifying to represent Turkey at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. However, months before their big journey, the announcement of the Olympics’ postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought uncertainty. Amidst this uncertainty, while the athletes continued their preparations at camp, the delay allowed for a fifth candidate, Egyptian- born Adem Asil, to join the team.

Co-directed by İpek Kent and Efe Öztezdoğan, Eclipse captures the Turkish artistic gymnastics team’s preparation at the camp. Following the pandemic, the athletes faced additional hurdles, including the Izmir earthquake in October 2020 and various injuries. Despite these challenges, the athletes continued to push their limits in pursuit of Olympic success in Tokyo. With its aesthetic black-and-white imagery as well as the charm of the athletes, each displaying a natural ease in front of the camera, Eclipse is an interesting sports documentary.