Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

The year 1968 was ablaze with passion and mayhem as protests erupted in Paris and Prague, throughout the United States, and in cities on all continents. The Summer Olympic Games in Mexico were to be a moment of respite from chaos. But the image of peace – a white dove – adopted by organizers was an illusion, as was obvious to a record six hundred million people watching worldwide on satellite television. Ten days before the opening ceremony, soldiers slaughtered hundreds of student protesters in the capital.

This once-in-a-lifetime special event features newly filmed interviews with the people who made that landmark night so special, including Nikki Webster, Human Nature, Cathy Freeman and more.

SOMM RECORDINGS is delighted to announce the debut recording of composer-pianist Iain Farrington’s Art Deco Trio, featuring 15 new instrumental arrangements blending classical and jazz influences of songs by George Gershwin.

This archive-driven film gives audiences a glimpse of the Olympic Games held in Paris a century ago and marks the 100th anniversary of the Games returning to the French capital. The VIII Olympiad showcased the grandeur of the opening ceremony and looked at the challenges faced in organising the event. The beautifully shot footage (bearing in mind that it was 100 years ago) vividly captures the electrifying atmosphere of the Games, and the athletes and provides insights into the meticulous preparations. The 1924 Games were the first-ever to be shot on film, and the original film was digitised, restored, and re-edited with a modern audience in mind.

Documentary footage from the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.