Asif Kapadia’s documentary ‘Federer: Twelve Final Days’ gets Tribeca world premiere

“Federer: Twelve Final Days,” directed by Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, has been added to the world premieres of New York’s Tribeca Festival’s 2024 line-up alongside eight other movies. The behind-the-scenes sports documentary, screening in Tribeca’s Spotlight Documentary section, is about tennis champion Roger Federer and his decision to retire from the sport.

As the title suggests, the documentary explores the final twelve days of Federer’s career and centers around the 2022 Laver Cup, where the Swiss tennis player memorably retired sobbing next to his great rival Rafael Nadal. It features interviews with Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray, as well as footage of Federer and his family in the days before his exit from the sport.

A trailer, newly released by Amazon Prime, includes Djokovic saying that “Roger’s legacy will be forever” over footage of Federer with his wife Mirka and children. The trailer also includes footage of his triumphs, including five successive wins at Wimbledon between 2003 and 2007.

When the documentary was commissioned, Federer expressed surprise at the outcome, as the footage was not initially intended for public viewing. He said, “During my career, I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public. However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey.”

The documentary is set to premiere on June 20.

Films to premiere at Tribeca Festival other than Federer: Twelve Final Days

The Tribeca Festival takes place from June 5-16. Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal commented: “At our core, we are an activist festival united by the belief that art can inspire change. We’re excited to add 11 new films to our Festival lineup, including Missing From Fire Trail Road, about the injustices of unsolved crimes against Indigenous women, and Power of the Dream, about the WNBA’s effort to fight for fair pay, plus many more films that will inform and engage audiences.”

The event will mark the premiere of The Freshly Cut Grass, a dramedy directed by Celina Murga and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, competing in the International Narrative Competition.

Other world premieres joining the programme are: Power of the Dream, a documentary about women’s professional basketball, directed by Dawn Porter; drama Come Closer, directed and written by Tom Nesher; comedy Nuked, feature directing debut of Deena Kashper; Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go, about stand-up comedian Einbinder; Missing From Fire Trail Road, Sabrina Van Tassel’s true crime story about Indigenous women; Soldiers of Song, Ryan Smith’s documentary about Ukrainian musicians coping with the invasion of their country; and Dust to Dust, Kosai Sekine’s film about Japanese fashion designer Yuima Nakazato.

Newly added to the Tribeca schedule are the North American premieres of Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, directed by Nanette Burstein, and the immigrant story La Cocina, directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios.

Additionally, the festival’s year-round programming includes the world premiere of A Quiet Place: Day One on June 26th. This horror sequel is slated for release by Paramount on June 28th.