Paramount Pictures and Transmission Films have acquired the Australian made documentary film SALUTE as part of the newly forged distribution partnership. SALUTE is the second film to be released under the partnership and tells the true story of Peter Norman, who was the 200m Silver Medalist in the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games and involved in the historically political “Black Power Protest” with African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
Sadly Peter Norman passed away in 2006 but his story has been captured by his nephew, Melbourne based filmmaker Matt Norman who directed and produced SALUTE.
1968 was a pivotal year with some world changing events taking place such as the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy and on October 16 at the Olympic Games history was made. As well as reflecting on this historical event SALUTE is also relevant to current affairs surrounding the Beijing Olympics and Matt Norman has been involved in making the message of Civil and human rights heard during the lead up to these Olympics. Norman, who has been invited to meet with the Dalai Lama in Sydney on the 11th June 2008, says “opening communication between the Tibetan people and the Chinese government by speaking about the real need for change in China should be the catalyst to the upcoming Olympic games”.
Matt Norman’s film SALUTE will have its World Premiere at the upcoming Sydney Film Festival on the 8th of June at the State Theatre in Sydney. In July the Official biography “A Race To Remember -The Peter Norman Story’” will be released by Co-Authors Damian Johnstone and Matt Norman which tells the entire story of Peter Norman from start to finish. Its important Matt says that Australian’s and the rest of the World get to know of one of its own hero’s who has flown under the radar for so many years.
More information can be found at www.salutethemovie.com
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