Which documentary about the 'Rumble in the Jungle' won an Academy Award?

When We Were Kings is the documentary about the “Rumble in the Jungle” that won the Academy Award. Directed by Leon Gast, the 1996 film chronicles Muhammad Ali’s 1974 heavyweight championship fight against George Foreman in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The fight became one of boxing’s defining events. Ali used his famous “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning against the ropes and absorbing or deflecting Foreman’s punches until the younger champion tired. Ali then knocked Foreman out in the eighth round and regained the title he had been stripped of after refusing military induction.

The documentary also captures the atmosphere surrounding the bout, including the Zaire 74 music festival and appearances by figures such as James Brown, B.B. King, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Spike Lee. It combines archival fight footage with interviews and cultural history.

A common mix-up is confusing the documentary with the fight itself or with films about Ali’s broader life. When We Were Kings specifically focuses on the “Rumble in the Jungle” era and won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.