LBB Film Club: The Right to Race
“The most challenging aspect of creating the film? Keeping up with Dominic,” says ‘The Right to Race’ director, Hungry Man’s Richard Bullock. Together with sportswear brand On, the two share runner Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu’s story and the journey it’s taken for him to become an athlete.
Having grown up in South Sudan, migrated to Kenya and currently based in Switzerland, Dominic has fended for himself since he was nine years old, orphaned by war. When he discovered running, there was a quick realisation that it was what he was supposed to do – but it hasn’t been easy. The Swiss citizenship process is long and he is currently excluded from being a part of official Refugee teams, but that doesn’t stop his drive and hunger to keep going. He’s won races but not been on the podium, and that’s what caught the attention of the sportswear brand and director who would tell his story.
Exploring Dominic’s story, his friendships, the coach who pushes him and his goal to reach the Olympics, Richard together with executive producer Feliciano Robayna, used archived footage to share the journey. They speak to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani to delve deeper into the process.
LBB> What was your first reaction to Dominic and when did you know you had to share his story?
Feliciano> I first met Dom in June 2017 when I visited the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, together with On’s co-founder Olivier Bernhard and Richard Bullock – director of ‘We Are All One’ – what caught my attention was that Dom was the most sceptical of all 30+ athletes at the camp, and it took a while for him to let his guard down (he was probably wondering what these three white men with shoe bags and cameras were up to).
Once we bonded over football (him being a Chelsea fan, and myself a Roma supporter), the ice was broken. I knew we had to share his story once he sought asylum in Switzerland and realised he could no longer represent the Athlete Refugee Team. He started winning Swiss Championship races but was nowhere to be seen on the podium (because he wasn’t a Swiss national and therefore not eligible to be Swiss Champion, officially speaking). It was almost as if he were a ‘ghost’, and that didn’t sit well with me. We had to tell his story and get him the legal support he needed to boost his eligibility.
LBB> ‘The Right to Race’ is a powerful title. When and how did you land on it?
Richard> The film’s title is both a question and a statement. At the pinnacle of global athletics, a human being has to have a flag signifying their identity as a human being. In Dominic’s case the country in which he was born no longer exists. He’s spent most of his life as a refugee. As it stands, no matter how good he becomes he will never compete in a world championship or an Olympics because he has no country to run for. So the title of the film is really about that conundrum.
LBB> How did Dominic react to his story being shared? What was the main takeaway he wanted the piece to have?
Feliciano> I told him the film would achieve one of two things (or both). First, it would celebrate his remarkable journey up until now and inspire people from all walks of life to follow their dreams; and second, it could act as an agent of change, should his eligibility status still be up in the air when the film is broadcast. For him the most important takeaway was to show his gratitude — he is so thankful for the life he’s found here in Switzerland and the amazing support system around him.
LBB> Where did you begin the filmmaking process for this film? What was the starting point?
Richard> Technically we shot some of the sequences for this film in 2017 in Kenya. Then again in 2019 in Switzerland. Dominic’s story is a development from the feature film RUN which was aired in 2020. For this film, we started filming at the Diamond League in Monaco in 2022.
This is the fourth film I’ve made with On, and it’s unlike any other commercial film production. They are co-producers and the integrity of the story is of paramount importance. The story and authenticity are the most important drivers of the film. I’ve never experienced creative freedom like it in my career. It’s a wonderful partnership.
LBB> Dominic is a refugee from South Sudan who currently has no national identity. Why was it important to touch on his past in the film – especially with the situation in his native country now – and what is his hope for the future?
Richard> It’s important because the audience needs to understand that since the age of nine, Dominic has raised himself. He doesn’t like talking too much about his past for obvious reasons. Also, he still has family in South Sudan and it remains a delicate situation.
LBB> How did you shoot this documentary-style piece? Talk us through the equipment you used and what you prioritised from a production perspective.
Richard> I decided to operate at an absolute minimum of crew. The most we had was two people including myself. The relationship between Dominic and his coach Markus is very private. I decided to maximise the number of shoot days by keeping the crew tiny - for some of the races, I just sent solo cameramen. We used a Canon C500/Sony FX3 and drones. We got some fantastic road racing footage from Guillaume Laurent who is a Swiss athlete and a camera operator. He was able to run alongside the lead athletes on street circuits without disturbing them.
LBB> In terms of timescale, how long did it take you to capture all of the footage, conduct interviews and then edit the film to get to this point?
Richard> From start to finish, the film took a full year. There’s footage gathered from previous shoots in Africa and Switzerland, but for The Right to Race, it took about a year. The editing process took about three months.
LBB> We get a real insight into Dominic’s personality through his own words and also his coach Markus Hagmann, who narrates quite a lot of the short film. How did you balance the perspectives in the film to give a rounded narrative?
Richard>I never saw this film as the story of an athlete only. It’s really about the friendship and partnership that developed between Dominic and Markus. So it’s very much 50/50 in the narrative of the film. Markus is so good at explaining the complexities of the elite racing scene. Dominic is mostly action. Even though he speaks 5 languages, he’s not that verbal. It’s part of the culture of his tribe that the men aren’t overtly verbal. However, when he does speak, it’s often quite meaningful and wise. He has been through a lot in his life.
LBB> What was the most challenging aspect of creating the film and also the most rewarding?
Richard< Keeping up with Dominic. Chasing him on tracks, driving alongside him through the streets and following him running in the mountains. He’s really fast, and once he’s training he forgets that the cameras are there and just takes off.
Convincing Markus and Dominic to make the film took some time. In the end, they trusted us and I think it was a good experience for them. The real purpose of the film is to showcase Dominic’s situation and hopefully convince the governing bodies to allow him to compete on the world stage.
LBB> The film makes it clear that it’s not just about athleticism, but dedication to training and the efforts of the team as well. Why did you want to make it clear that it takes a village?
Feliciano> Even if your dreams are powerful, they are stronger if you do it together. People don’t always realise this is also the case in ‘individual’ sports like running, where so many people are involved behind the scenes to help athletes perform optimally.
On’s mission is to ignite the human spirit through movement - I can’t think of a more fitting example than Dom’s story to do just that.
LBB> It was heartwarming to see Dominic build and polish his medal and trophy cabinet and far removed from how he is on the track. Why was it important to include a more personal and human side to the piece?
Richard> I noticed that Dominic was stockpiling trophy hardware in his small flat. I thought the cabinet would make a nice gift and it might prompt Dominic to talk about other things. I’m not a huge fan of standard interviews, so I’m always looking for different ways to get my subjects to open up. As it turns out, we did an interview just after the trophy scene and Dominic said some amazing things in that interview.
LBB> If there’s one thing you want people to take away from the film, what would it be?
Feliciano> During all these years crafting these amazing stories through the lens of our athletes, the red thread has always been the resilience of the human spirit and the power of dreams. Although it sounds cliché, it always comes down to “where there is a will, there is a way”. I think that message can resonate with anybody who watches the film.
Richard> The obstacles are the way.
