In preparation for this inspiring documentary, the French film crew and their translator took a year to establish rapport with the former volleyball players.

Full of touching moments from the interviewees, now in their 80s, we gained insight in their lasting friendship and dedication (they all worked morning shifts in a factory, then practised volleyball in the afternoon until late at night) from jaw-dropping training footage. Knowing the result of the 1964 Olympics volleyball final, the tournament footage is still exhilarating to watch, even today.

As the former teammates gathered at the lunch table, sharing their fond memories of each other's antics and nicknames, some players were sorely missing from the occasion (due to illness or have passed in recent years). I'm glad the legendary players have agreed to participate in this sports documentary, a timeless story to tell and to watch.

The Japanese women's volleyball team that won the Gold Medal at the 1964 Olympics is the subject of this documentary. Perhaps it is not as interesting a priori as the subject of his previous documentary, "L'empire de la perfection" (Julien Faraut, 2018),but the numerous footage (including a manga series based on the team) allows the director to produce an agile documentary in montage and rhythm. The last game, however, is not as electrifying as it is wanted to make us see.

The story of the incredible Japanese women's volleyball team is presented here for the first time, in quite an entertaining format. Luckily, the director had some great footage at hand, some of it even in impeccable quality.

The secret behind the success of the "witches," as they got nicknamed in Europe, is soon lifted, they trained so hard, it often becomes painful to watch. Their trainer was nicknamed, "the demon", quite appropriate! The young ladies did not give in though, and became national heroes, even famous today, 50 years after their great success. A lot of anime had been produced on the subject and the director edited it into the life footage and created some astonishing effects.

Seeing the remaining old ladies now was another highlight, hearing them talk on how hard it was, but also, how motivated they have been, to remain on the team.