Did you consider using a different filming location for the Patscherkofel? If so, where?
We thought about which locations would be interesting in principle. We also considered shooting it at Nassfeld or Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia. But since the original Olympic track on the Patscherkofel is still largely intact today and the infrastructure was there, we decided to shoot it at the original location.
How did you find the shooting in Innsbruck? Were there any challenges?
The shooting went well. Of course, with so many personnel, logistics are always a challenge, especially on a ski race course where you have to cover a large area. How do you get the film crew up the mountain and back down? In addition, there is the weather situation, which has to be as stable as possible. We were lucky there, except for one stormy day, we got it all to work out the way we wanted!
What was your favorite moment during the filming in Innsbruck?
My favorite moment was the two days we shot the finish. Where we shot the victory jubilation with a large number of extras in wonderful historical costumes. Even today, that gives you goose bumps, even if it was just a film set. Our stuntmen crossed the finish line at racing speed and then the actor as Franz Klammer darts into the picture, that was an exciting, convincing illusion.
In 1976, the possibilities for filming were very limited compared to today. How was this subject matter translated into the film version?
We used the most modern camera techniques with our own team for the stunt shots. In order to capture the speed and drama of a downhill race.
The Patscherkofel looks different today as a ski mountain than it did in 1976. How and where was most of the filming done?
Of course it looks different today, but the course is still authentic. Especially the trees in the finish area look different today. Since we focus on the key spots in the film, where we actually filmed everywhere, this is of less importance. We rented the entire Olympic track and furnished it historically. Among other things, with "picket fences," which no longer exist today. We also prepared the track in a rough way, like in 1976. We then really worked it out spot by spot with the actors and the stuntmen.