Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Sinivalkoinen valhe (When Heroes Lie)
2012
****
Director: Arto Halonen
Cast:

The 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti have become synonymous with the doping scandal that rocked the host nation Finland. Four male and two female members of the country's cross-country skiing team tested positive for a banned blood plasma expander. This, however, was not an isolated incident. Director Arto Halonen, who appears on-screen, begins his investigation in Lahti but goes further back to reveal the details of a well-organised and all-encompassing doping programme that was authorised by the top dogs in the Finnish Ski Federation. In the early 1970s, banned substances became an integral part of skiing, not only in Finland but across the continent. This is a captivating, depressing and catharctic documentary about fallen sporting heroes.