The picture of the three men on the winner’s podium after the Men’s 200m final at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics is still considered one of the most powerful images of modern history. Almost forgotten in the ensuing years is the seemingly quiet and composed man in the left of the picture, the Australian silver medalist Peter Norman.
Why is he considered a household name throughout the United States even today?
And why do the other medalists, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, consider him a brother?
This is the story of the quiet man, the forgotten man and a salute to him.
This film is not just about the Olympic race but more about the Human Race. Civil and Human Rights injustices were at it’s worst in the 60s but one year in particular, there was more happening than ever before. The Vietnam War, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr, Mexico City Students slaughtered in the streets for their part in protests and then a proposed boycott of the 68 Olympics by black nations. If there was a symbol of that decade, it would have to be the symbol of strength, unity and stance. It was the “Black Power Salute” that populated the World more than any other story.
Rated 15, Salute has been sold to Arrow Films for a UK theatrical release because of its relevance to the Olympic Games, which kick off in London on July 27. You can buy Salute on DVD
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