Sports documentary. The 1968 Mexico Olympics gained international notoriety when African-American 200m runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos performed the clenched-fist "black power" salute on the medal podium. But what of white Australian sprinter Peter Norman, who won the silver medal? This documentary explores the impact and aftermath of that iconic moment on all three of the medallists.
This documentary has the inside story on one of the most iconic political moments in sport: the black power salute of African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the medal podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. The focus is on silver medallist Peter Norman, the white Australian who stood alongside them. Norman wore a human rights badge in solidarity with his fellow 200m victors, and it was he who suggested the Americans share a single pair of black gloves for their protest. Norman's involvement may have been minimal and somewhat circumstantial, but his subsequent treatment from the Australian authorities was not. Although the film often repeats itself and lacks remarkable archive and other footage, the impact of this moment on the world - and on the three men's lives in the decades that followed - is well worth documenting. Directed by Norman's nephew Matt, it's no surprise that this worthy sports chronicle is a real labour of love.
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| Narrator | Christopher Kirby |
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| Director | Matt Norman |
