Mighty Jerome

In this, his documentary debut, the late Canadian filmmaker Charles Officer brings to life the story of the rise, fall and redemption of Vancouver’s own Harry Jerome, Canada’s most record-setting track and field star in history. Gorgeous black and white imagery, impassioned interviews and astonishing archival footage are used to tell the triumphant and compelling story of what Harry Jerome’s own coach called “the greatest comeback in track and field history.” Through Jerome’s remarkable journey, students learn about a notable figure in Canadian sports history from right here in Vancouver, while also learning more about black histories and experiences in Canada, and the prejudices and attitudes about race in this country the Jerome faced during his rise in the 1960s.

With its magnetic monochrome imagery and vintage soundtrack, the film transports the viewer back to the late ’50s in Vancouver, where Jerome’s success as a track-and-field athlete began at the high-school level. It follows his journey competing for the University of Oregon under the coaching of Bill Bowerman and his competitions during the Summer Olympic games of 1960, ’64 and ’68. During his career, Jerome won the bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the gold in the British Empire and Commonwealth games in 1966 and yet another gold in the 1967 Pan American Games. At his height as an athlete, Jerome set seven world records.

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