Prince Harry to appear in Netflix documentary celebrating the Paralympics
Prince Harry is to make his Netflix documentary debut later this month as he appears in a film about the Paralympics.
The Duke of Sussex has worked with Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte, who made McQueen, on Rising Phoenix, a documentary telling the story of the origins of the Paralympic games as well as some of the tales of the athletes.
In the trailer released on Twitter on Thursday, Harry says: “There isn’t anything else in the world that can bring you back from the darkest places [like] sport.”
He adds: “Lives are being changed on the tracks, but lives are also being changed in the stands.”
A spokesperson for The Duke of Sussex said: “The Duke is proud to have been one of the people who contributed to this film, which is a unique and powerful documentary that hopes to change the way people view disability – and tell the incredible story of the Paralympics.”
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The duke, 35, has been supportive of the film since it was first pitched as an idea.
According to Netflix, Rising Phoenix “tells the extraordinary story of the Paralympic Games. From the rubble of World War II to the third biggest sporting event on the planet, the Paralympics sparked a global movement which continues to change the way the world thinks about disability, diversity & human potential.”
Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 after leaving the Army, as a way for injured service personnel to continue the feeling of camaraderie and partnership linked with serving together.
The games and associated foundation was set up by Harry after he had seen a similar initiative in the US, called the Warrior Games, and he realised the impact of sport for those with serious injury.
The 2020 games were set to take place in May in The Hague, but had to be postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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At the time of that announcement, the duke said: “Life has changed dramatically for all of us since I was last in The Hague, but the IG 2020 team has done an incredible job to adapt so quickly to the situation, and they are busy putting plans in place for next year.
“The new dates will be shared with you very soon. I hope that all of those in the Invictus family are coping well and supporting each other through this challenging time.”
The documentary will be available on Netflix from August 26.
