School of Champions
Series 8 x 45 Minutes
A class at a renowned Austrian ski academy, a training centre with an international reputation and graduates who regularly dominate professional skiing. But the road to the top is icy – even off the piste.
Of the many international applicants, only ten teenagers are accepted at the school after a gruelling admissions process: This year, Nikki (Imre Lichtenberger), the sporty but undisciplined son of headmaster Mark, Nawal (Luna Mwezi), the focussed racer from Switzerland, Luca (Mikka Forcher), a young introverted South Tyrolean, Daniela (Emilia Warenski), the local racing hope, and George (Moritz Uhl), the quiet man from Munich, make it in together with five other young talents. But this is just the beginning of their long journey.
In everyday school life, they not only face tough training, but also one or two interpersonal challenges. Because love and envy, loyalty and betrayal, ambition and disappointment, success and failure are all very close together at the ski boarding school. Everyday school life in the jungle of emotions between adrenaline rushes on the piste, ambitious parents, demanding coaches, demanding teachers, financial pressure, public interest – and the deep longing for victory, love and recognition.
The school is also in a disastrous financial state. Headmaster Mark (Jakob Seeböck), a former Olympic champion, is struggling in several areas: He wants to be a good father, has to get the school out of its slump – and is struggling with his own demons. And then there’s Paul (Nikolaus Lessky), who, so they say, died in a terrible accident a year ago. But what really happened back then?
Book: Samuel R. Schultschik
Director: Dominik Hartl, Johanna Moder
Camera: André Mayerhofer, Robert Oberrainer
Producers: John Lueftner, David Schalko, Katharina Theissen, Sarah Born
A Superfilm production in co-production with Catpics for ORF, BR and SRF, produced with the support of Fernsehfonds Austria and Land Salzburg.
