The Iron Hammer

In her rousing and personal documentary debut, director Joan Chen charts the inspiring life and career of “Jenny” Lang Ping, a fearless volleyball star who embarked on one of the most remarkable journeys in modern Chinese history. She became an international icon not just as an outstanding player—the film’s title, and her nickname, comes from her trademark, pulverizing spike—but also as an assured, fearless coach who led her national team to an historic gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. But she didn’t settle there: when Lang Ping moved abroad to the United States to coach their Olympic team, she continued to break new ground while her players cinched multiple international championship titles. Brimming with never-before-seen footage, personal interviews, and (obviously) exhilarating volleyball, The Iron Hammer explores how Lang Ping’s success coaching both Team USA and China ratcheted up the bar for female empowerment and the global ambitions of a country at a crossroads. Presented by the Olympic Channel.