1968 at the Mexico Olympics, two black American track and field medalists raised their black-gloved fists in silent protest for civil rights,
Vancouver –DOXA Documentary Film Festival is pleased to announce the final film in the 2009/2010 Motion Pictures Film Series, a selection of award-winning documentaries that look at the complex issues surrounding physicality, athleticism, the politics of sports and the drive we have to get our bodies in motion.
On February 25th DOXA presents the award-winning documentary Salute from director Matt Norman.
On October 16, 1968 at the Mexico Olympics, two black American track and field medalists raised their black-gloved fists in silent protest for civil rights, while sharing the podium with white Australian runner Peter Norman. That Black Power salute is one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century.
It’s no surprise that sports and politics collided at the XIX Olympiad. In the months preceding the games, the world suffered a series of bitter and violent conflicts. Against this tumultuous backdrop, the Olympics commenced on October 12th and four days later the 200-metre medal race was run. The night Peter Norman ran the race of his life alongside Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Just before the award ceremonies, Smith and Carlos told Norman that they would be making a political statement during the medal presentation. Norman showed his support by wearing the badge of the Olympics Project For Human Rights, an organization that had called for a black boycott of the games.
All three athletes were booed as they left the podium and subsequently ostracized in their own countries for having the audacity to use the opportunity to make a political statement. The three men were also punished severely by their respective Olympic organizations and in Peter’s case; he was not picked for the ‘72 Olympics, even though he came third in the trials.
The outcry over the politicization of the Olympics meant that Norman’s decision to participate would cost him his running career, and his rightful acclaim as Australia’s best ever 200m sprinter.
Salute revisits this controversial incident through the eyes of that third man on that stage. Lovingly told by Peter’s nephew, Matthew, Salute is a personal reflection about a man whose courageous, simple support for human rights half a world away defied conventional logic and earned him a place in history.
The global uproar this gesture created, affected all three men for the rest of their lives; their individual stories running in parallel a world apart. They grew close and considered themselves brothers for life often sharing podiums together to speak out on racial equality.
Salute is a beautifully drawn portrait of three men whose bravery and strength inspired a generation of activists and is an important lesson about standing up for your beliefs in a hostile world.
Tickets are available at Bibliophile Bookshop, Videomatica, Biz Books and online at www.doxafestival.ca.
