"Federer: Twelve Final Days" is an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Roger Federer's emotional final 12 days leading up to his retirement from professional tennis. The documentary film covers the time from his retirement announcement to his final match at the 2022 Laver Cup. It premiered at the Tribeca Festival and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
It chronicles Federer's retirement announcement, emotional final match with Nadal, and bond with both Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
It covers the end of an era marked by the "Big Three's" dominance and their transformation from young talents to family men without losing skill, bringing unprecedented fan passion.
While effectively using archival footage, the film misses opportunities to explore Federer's less favorable traits, and lacks depth and drama for broader appeal, leaving parts of his story untouched.
It features behind-the-scenes footage by Joe Sabia and interviews with Federer, family, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray discussing Federer's impact.
Federer's last match has a somber atmosphere, with the "enemy" being injury not players, focusing on emotional moments in the locker room but lacking tennis analysis.
The documentary succeeds as a limited Federer portrait but may leave viewers wanting more of his other side, like a Dartmouth speech where he said "perfection is impossible."
The documentary project was suggested by Anna Wintour, and Kapadia aimed to explore the impact of age and retirement.
Sources: The New York Times, Financial Times, The Indian Express, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Times Now, High on Films, Firstpost, The Telegraph, Celebs Net, Exbulletin, Variety, Empire Online.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
