'The Real Mo Farah' co-producer Red Bull Studios is preparing new athletics documentary 'The Moment: How Sports Changed the World' with 1895 films (EXCLUSIVE)

Red Bull Studios (RBS), one of the producers of the electrifying documentary 'The Real Mo Farah', has set up its next project, 'The Moment: How Sports Changed the World', Variety< /em > can reveal exclusively.

Directed by 1895 Films' Tom Jennings, 'The Moment' is a feature-length documentary that explores the lasting repercussions of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was controversial in South Africa at the end of apartheid . At the time, the South African national team (nicknamed the Springboks) had just one black player - Chester Williams - but ended up winning the tournament in a moment that united the country (pictured here above, Mandela congratulates Springboks captain François Pienaar after their victory).

"The well-known story is that Nelson Mandela really took a risk [hosting the Rugby World Cup in 1995] because the Springboks were seen as the symbol of apartheid and they were hated in South Africa apart from white nationals," Red Bull Studios global head Bernadette McDaid tells Variety. “[Mandela] decided that the rugby tournament could be used as a way to unite the country in the shadow of apartheid. It was very risky. And, of course, as we now know, he succeeded. »

"The Moment" follows the history of this tournament and the discussions surrounding it, leading up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which saw the Springboks beat England to win the tournament again, this time with Siya Kolisi, the first of the Springboks. Captain of the black team, at the helm.

In characteristic Jennings style, the entire documentary was created from contemporary archival material, without any narration or interviews. It also contains previously unseen and rare archival footage.

"It's a great way to take that snapshot in time, dig deeper into the story behind it, and then show how the past influences the present," McDaid explained.

Although it is currently a standalone documentary, RBS has indicated that it is so pleased with how “The Moment” turned out that it is considering making it the first d a series, each examining a different sporting moment that was pivotal in causing seismic societal change. They are currently talking with broadcasters and streaming partners to co-finance a series.

McDaid and Jennings are producing "The Moment: How Sports Changed the World," while Sarah Hume is production manager and Deborah Henderson is business affairs manager.

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