The Ice King

Synopsis

A searing documentary of a lost cultural icon. A story of art, sport, sexuality, and rebellion.
Watch any figure skating and it falls into two camps: before and after John Curry. From what was a macho, technical sport whose judges punished deviation, blossomed – through John Curry’s stubborn beauty – ice-dancing.
After winning gold at the Winter Olympics for a rebelliously balletic routine, audiences and reviewers alike were enthralled by his genius. But Curry’s story is about more than skating. On the night of the final, Curry became the first openly gay Olympian at a time when homosexuality was barely legal. From bullying and prejudice, to relief in the gay underworld, to his untimely death from AIDS, Curry’s story dovetails with the experiences of a generation.
This is the story of a man whose body was a battleground. From love affairs, to violence in sex clubs, to its ‘unmanly’ elegance on the ice, every act was rebellion. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.
Official Selection CPH:DOX 2018 - International premiere

Details

Year

2018

Type of film

Features

Running Time

89 mins

Format

DCP

Director

James Erskine

Producer

Victoria Gregory

Co-Producer

Luc Tremoulet

Executive Producer

Alex Holmes, Anna Godas, Emma Cahusac, Kirsty Bell, Oli Harbottle, Tony Miller

Editor

Steve Parkinson

Screenwriter

James Erskine

Director of Photography

Paul Williams

Sound

Jack Gillies

Music

Stuart Hancock, Bratislava Symphony Orchestra

Principal Cast

Johnny Weir, Cathy Foulkes, David Spungen, Heinz Wirz, Lorna Brown, Meg Streeter Lauck

Assistant Producer

Siwan Clark

Line Producer

Rachel Doctors

Genre

• LBGT
• Sport
• Documentary

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 23rd March 2018