Salute
July 2nd 2008 08:59
Peter George Norman (June 15, 1942 – October 3, 2006) was an Australian track star best known for winning the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His time of 20.06 seconds still stands as the Australian 200 metre record. He is a five-time Australian champion of 200m.
The gold and bronze medallists were Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos, respectively. On the medal podium, during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", Smith and Carlos famously joined in a black power salute.
What is less known is that Norman, a white Australian, donned a badge on the podium in support of their cause, the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR). It was also Norman who suggested that Smith and Carlos share the black gloves used in their salute, after Carlos had left his gloves in the Olympic Village. This is the reason for Tommie Smith raising his right fist, while John Carlos raised his left. Asked about his support of Smith and Carlos' cause by the world's press, Norman said he opposed his country's government's White Australia policy.
Australia's Olympic authorities reprimanded him and the Australian media ostracized him. Despite qualifying 15 times for the 100m and five times for the 200m during 1971/72 the Australian Olympic track team did not pick Norman for the 1972 Summer Olympics. That year was the first ever where no Australian sprint team went to the Olympics.
He kept running, but contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles Tendon during a training session, which nearly led to his leg being amputated. Depression and heavy drinking followed. Norman died of a heart attack on October 3, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 64. US Track and Field Federation proclaimed October 9, 2006, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day. Both Smith and Carlos were pall-bearers at Norman's funeral.
Peter Norman is the Uncle to well known Australia film maker and Actor Matt Norman who has directed and produced the cinematic released documentary SALUTE through Paramount Pictures and Transmission Films. The film tells the story of the part Peter Norman played in the black power salute, and what effect it has on his life afterwards.
The trailer for Salute is below:
Here is the 200m final at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Matt Norman realized that the full story of his famous uncle had never been told. There had been attempts by American filmmakers but they all lacked one major ingredient, Peter Norman. Matt started filming SALUTE at the end of 2002. With no budget, no funding and no help he went about making a film that he hoped would get picked up by a local film festival. Instead, "Salute" is now considered one of the most ambitious and most expensive Documentary films ever made in Australia. With the help of the FFC (Federal Finance Commission) and his local funding body Film Victoria, Norman raised close to two Million dollars to help with the post production of the film. In October 2006, Peter Norman died tragically of a heart attack. Matt Norman's life was turned up-side-down when his film that was to honour his uncle would now be regarded as a memory of his uncle and the stance he took at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
Starting from Scratch with nothing and loosing his uncle and his own home to make the film "Salute", Matt Norman has held onto his promise to Peter Norman to finally tell the World the true story of events of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Salute The Movie will be released Australia wide around the 24th July 2008. Rest of the World to follow and will have it's World Premiere at the exclusive Sydney Film Festival on the 8th of June 2008.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Matt Norman & Peter Norman.
What is less known is that Norman, a white Australian, donned a badge on the podium in support of their cause, the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR). It was also Norman who suggested that Smith and Carlos share the black gloves used in their salute, after Carlos had left his gloves in the Olympic Village. This is the reason for Tommie Smith raising his right fist, while John Carlos raised his left. Asked about his support of Smith and Carlos' cause by the world's press, Norman said he opposed his country's government's White Australia policy.
Australia's Olympic authorities reprimanded him and the Australian media ostracized him. Despite qualifying 15 times for the 100m and five times for the 200m during 1971/72 the Australian Olympic track team did not pick Norman for the 1972 Summer Olympics. That year was the first ever where no Australian sprint team went to the Olympics.
He kept running, but contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles Tendon during a training session, which nearly led to his leg being amputated. Depression and heavy drinking followed. Norman died of a heart attack on October 3, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 64. US Track and Field Federation proclaimed October 9, 2006, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day. Both Smith and Carlos were pall-bearers at Norman's funeral.
Peter Norman is the Uncle to well known Australia film maker and Actor Matt Norman who has directed and produced the cinematic released documentary SALUTE through Paramount Pictures and Transmission Films. The film tells the story of the part Peter Norman played in the black power salute, and what effect it has on his life afterwards.
The trailer for Salute is below:
Here is the 200m final at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Matt Norman realized that the full story of his famous uncle had never been told. There had been attempts by American filmmakers but they all lacked one major ingredient, Peter Norman. Matt started filming SALUTE at the end of 2002. With no budget, no funding and no help he went about making a film that he hoped would get picked up by a local film festival. Instead, "Salute" is now considered one of the most ambitious and most expensive Documentary films ever made in Australia. With the help of the FFC (Federal Finance Commission) and his local funding body Film Victoria, Norman raised close to two Million dollars to help with the post production of the film. In October 2006, Peter Norman died tragically of a heart attack. Matt Norman's life was turned up-side-down when his film that was to honour his uncle would now be regarded as a memory of his uncle and the stance he took at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
Starting from Scratch with nothing and loosing his uncle and his own home to make the film "Salute", Matt Norman has held onto his promise to Peter Norman to finally tell the World the true story of events of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Salute The Movie will be released Australia wide around the 24th July 2008. Rest of the World to follow and will have it's World Premiere at the exclusive Sydney Film Festival on the 8th of June 2008.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Matt Norman & Peter Norman.
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