Hi.. I have been to China.. I have not been lucky enough to visit Mexico..
But I have .. in my life been lucky enough to meet & briefly know Peter Norman..
As Peter suggested.. there is good and bad in : everything, everyone and everywhere..
China with a huge population has no alternative but to exert control.. Look at the World and tell me that control is not needed.
But as Peter suggested.. no one is perfect.
The Ancient Olympics ran for 3000 years.. and offered a truce each 4 years.. a time for refection each 4 years.
The Modern Olympic has run for 112 years.. and has offered a truce each 4 years.. and meaningful images the best of which was offered by Peter. (Oh.. and Jesse Owens and Debbie Flintoff-King and many many more).. I personally am not at all sure that Rogge and his mates will keep it going for 3000 years.
It is only through courageous acts of love and hope, such as Peter's, Tommie's & John's that attention is drawn and attitudes are changed about important matters of life..
Tibet's struggle is beautiful and tragic but not only the making of China's.
Matt's film will not only the story of Peter, Mexico68 or Blacks or Tibet.. it's about Peter's faith in his own split second decision to stand by Tommie, John and his upbringing. It is those split second decisions that make life what is it and what it can be.
Peters decision, Matt's determination and pride in it, my reflection on it... makes this World just the little richer..
Reject Hate.. embrace love.. For Pete's sake.
Darren.
2 comments:
From the ABC Ballarat blog
After three days of calling, I got through to Jeanette, the manager of the Regent Cinema in Ballarat. I asked her if there were any plans to show the film Salute in Ballarat. "That's strange," she replies. " I just had someone ringing me about that."
Jeanette tells me the film might be here in 5 or 6 weeks, but there's "..no concrete plans".
"You mean... after the Olympics have finished," I reply incredulously. She passes me on to Stewart, the programmer for the cinema.
Stewart tells me all the films at the Regent are sent from Village, one of the biggest chains of cinemas in Australia. He also tells me because this film is on limited release, and that it is a 'showcase film', there is little chance of it coming to Ballarat anytime soon.
Then he tells me something quite odd: "If we believe a film might be popular, we can request it."
I am so stunned I get him to repeat that last bit, then ask "When would you request a film?"
"Oh... if we get 50 or 60 phone calls about it," he says.
So there you have it. 50 or 60 phone calls and we can watch one of the more important films made about politics and sport - and of one Australian athlete's role in one of the most legendary moments in Olympic history - in a cinema we don't have to travel hours to get to!
Or... we can all wait with baited breath for Space Chimps to debut here...
Thank you Jarrod. This is very kind of you to persist in such a public way. I appreciate the support.
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