{{short description|2020 documentary film}} {{about|the film|the bodybuilding competition|Rising Phoenix World Championships}} {{Infobox film | name = Rising Phoenix | image = Rising Phoenix.jpg | alt = | caption = Film poster | director = {{Plainlist| * Ian Bonhôte * Peter Ettedgui }} | producer = {{plainlist| * John Battsek * Greg Nugent }} | writer = | screenplay = | story = | based_on = | starring = {{Plainlist| * Jean-Baptiste Alaize * Ryley Batt * Ellie Cole * Philip Craven * Xavier Gonzalez * Eva Loeffler * Ntando Mahlangu * Tatyana McFadden * Andrew Parsons * Jonnie Peacock * Matt Stutzman * Prince Harry * Bebe Vio * Cui Zhe }} | narrator = | music = Daniel Pemberton | cinematography = | editing = | studio = HTYT Films, Passion Pictures, Misfits Entertainment, Ventureland | distributor = Netflix | released = {{Film date|2020|8|26|Netflix}} | runtime = 105 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Rising Phoenix''''' is a 2020 documentary film directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui and starring Tatyana McFadden, Bebe Vio and Jonnie Peacock.<ref name="shortSummer2020">{{cite web |url=https://lwlies.com/reviews/rising-phoenix/ |website=Little White Lies |title=This powerful documentary charts the history of the Paralympics and its positive impact on disability representation. |date=August 26, 2020 |access-date=August 26, 2020 |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813125956/https://lwlies.com/reviews/rising-phoenix/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film conveys the stories of nine Paralympic athletes and their journeys in competition.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|first=Celine|last=Ramseyer|title=New 'Rising Phoenix' Netflix documentary will make you laugh and cry|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/28/sport/rising-phoenix-netflix-documentary-peacock-paralympians-spt-intl/index.html|access-date=2020-09-07|website=CNN|date=28 August 2020|archive-date=2021-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827084940/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/28/sport/rising-phoenix-netflix-documentary-peacock-paralympians-spt-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Content == The documentary film tells the backstories of several Paralympic athletes. The film's title was inspired by Bebe Vio, who was nicknamed "Rising Phoenix" when she was young. Vio tells of how she loved fencing as a child, and had her arms and legs amputated after contracting meningitis at 11 years old. Jonnie Peacock similarly lost a leg to meningitis as a child. Other Paralympians featured include Jean-Baptiste Alaize, Matt Stutzman, Ntando Mahlangu, Tatyana McFadden, Cui Zhe, Ryley Batt, and Ellie Cole.<ref name=":0" />
Also featured are Invictus Games founder Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex<ref name=":1">{{cite magazine |last=Horst |first=Carole |date=August 25, 2020 |title=Netflix's 'Rising Phoenix' Celebrates Top Paralympic Athletes |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/spotlight/netflix-rising-phoenix-paralympics-1234748744/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008225747/https://variety.com/2020/film/spotlight/netflix-rising-phoenix-paralympics-1234748744/ |archive-date=October 8, 2022 |access-date=July 21, 2024 |magazine=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |language=en}}</ref> and Eva Loeffler, the daughter of Paralympic Games founder Ludwig Guttmann.<ref name="shortSummer2020" />
== Development == Greg Nugent, the marketing director for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, had wanted to make a documentary film about Paralympians for eight years before ''Rising Phoenix'' debuted.<ref name=":0" /> The directors of the film were Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who had previously made the 2018 documentary film ''McQueen''. The film was intended to release to coincide with the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, but those games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":1" /> Daniel Pemberton, the film's composer, recruited the disabled American hip-hop group Krip-Hop Nation to rap for the end-title song.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Jon |date=2020-08-26 |title=‘Rising Phoenix’ Enlists Disabled Rappers to Join Daniel Pemberton for Documentary Soundtrack |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/rising-phoenix-soundtrack-disabled-rappers-daniel-pemberton-score-netflix-1234748762/ |access-date=2025-07-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116153530/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/rising-phoenix-soundtrack-disabled-rappers-daniel-pemberton-score-netflix-1234748762/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Rising Phoenix'' was released on August 26, 2020 on Netflix.<ref name=":1" /> It is an HTYT Films and Passion Pictures production in association with Ventureland and Misfits Entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paralympic film 'Rising Phoenix' premieres globally on Netflix |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/paralympic-film-rising-phoenix-premieres-globally-netflix |access-date=2020-09-21 |website=International Paralympic Committee |archive-date=2020-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828221428/https://www.paralympic.org/news/paralympic-film-rising-phoenix-premieres-globally-netflix |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Reception == The film has received positive reviews from critics. It has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of {{RT data|score}} based on reviews from {{RT data|count}} critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rising_phoenix|title=Rising Phoenix (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}</ref> In a review, Celine Ramseyer of CNN said that the documentary "will make you laugh and cry".<ref name=":0" /> Daniel Pemberton, the composer of the film's soundtrack, won the World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year in 2021 for his work on the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners & Nominees |url=https://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/awards/winners-and-nominees |access-date=2025-07-17 |website=World Soundtrack Awards |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509010735/https://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/awards/winners-and-nominees |url-status=live }}</ref>
The film won the award for Outstanding Long Sports Documentary at the Sports Emmy Awards in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pedersen|first1=Erik|title=Sports Emmys: TNT & ESPN Lead Networks As Seven Programs Score Two Wins Apiece – Full List|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/sports-emmys-2021-list-1234771825/|access-date=27 November 2025|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=8 June 2021}}</ref> It was a nominee for Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grater|first1=Tom|title=‘Rocks’ & ‘His House’ Win Big At British Independent Film Awards|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/rocks-his-house-win-big-british-independent-film-awards-1234696242/|access-date=27 November 2025|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Netflix title}} * {{IMDb title|10851618}}
{{WSA – Soundtrack Composer of the Year}}
Category:2020 films Category:2020 documentary films Category:Netflix original documentary films Category:Films scored by Daniel Pemberton Category:British documentary films Category:2020 English-language films Category:2020 British films Category:Documentary films about sportspeople with disabilities Category:Documentary films about the Olympics Category:English-language documentary films Category:Films about the Paralympics