Sugiura Keiko

Keeping on keeping on...

Aprés the Paralympics…

Aya: So who was the Japanese who moved you the most?

Naomi: That’s hard. There were so many inspiring stories. But maybe Sugiura.

Aya: Because you are a cyclist too?

Naomi: Two gold medals. At age 50. The oldest Japanese gold medalist.

Aya: She got over a lot of adversities.

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Voice-over

A pharmacist, with two children, who used to cycle as a hobby. Fell off at age 45, multiple fractures, brain damage, had to learn to read again. Took up Paralympic cycling. Games were postponed by a year and almost gave up. But stuck at the training  to win a gold medal in a time trial event and another in the road race. Mix with people who tell you, “Don’t give up.”

White Rabbit in a Meccano Wheelchair

White Rabbit this month made a Meccano wheelchair, a symbol of the Paralympics. And perhaps Meccano is a symbol of extending the abilities we have.

WHITE RABBIT, WHITE RABBIT, WHITE RABBIT

 

The Paralympics reminds us that life isn’t over until, well, until it’s over. The Paralympics have been a theater showcasing athletes of grace, generosity, and humor. It isn’t just their performances, it’s about the stories of long journeys for their hour in the almost empty stadium. Despite disabilities, some even put time into volunteerism in addition into getting a career and training for their event.

Rediscovered 1964 Tokyo Paralympics film

Festival of Love and Glory…

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Tomoka: I was so surprised using the smart glasses, wherever you looked the subtitles moved around the screen.

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Kaneko: And you could switch subtitle languages too. It felt odd watching an old movie with modern technology.

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Tomoka: Yes, a black and white movie. The commentary and music made it seem like I was caught in a time-warp.

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Kaneko: But you could see what society was like back then. You know some disabled people were kept in institutions.

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Back then

Tomoka: And the wheelchairs they used then for sports events were just ordinary ones. Not special sports ones.

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Kaneko: Right. And the Paralympians attitude was more casual. Like “I’m not expecting a medal, but I’ll do my best.” Now Paralympics is more competitive.

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Tomoka: Yes, and the events are more hyped up with music and decoration and entertainment.

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Kaneko: I hope that after the 2020 Paralympics barrier-free develops further.

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Tomoka: And the attitude of people towards disabled people becomes more understanding.

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Voice-over

The first use of the expression “Paralympics” was from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Having Tomoka Igari, a disabled entertainer, and Kaneko Yamamoto, a researcher from Sophia, come on stage at Tokyo International Film Festival and talk about their impressions of the film before its screening added depth to the event.

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Framing Paralympian Stories

On Paralympic coverage…

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Trischa: It’s discrimination through neglect. The problem is, Paralympic events are not as well attended as Olympic events. And the media channels don’t give as much coverage to Paralympics as Olympics.

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Fritz: Solution?

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Trischa: To persuade the networks to give Paralympics more coverage, to present Paralympian achievements more dramatically.

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Fritz: How do you propose to frame their stories? What’s the narrative structure?

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Victory over adversity is sweet...

Trischa: A linked vignette approach. The cause of the athlete’s disability and the treatment. Feelings of despair followed by the experience or the person who inspired them. Defeats leading to successes.

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Voice-over

The frame, or the theme, is triumph over adversity.

The stills and footage, and the athletes’ vignettes, are the visual and vocal framing components.

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Dumb-bells

Phone rings at the gym...

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Hercule: Can’t talk now. I’m using weights.

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Sol: Ha! Curls or presses?

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Hercule: Bench presses.

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Sol: How many you done? Ten? Ha!

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Hercule: 650 every morning.

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Sol: You have a personal trainer?

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Hercule: Sure. She’s here now. Raisa Shyne. Telling me to get off the phone.

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Voice-over

Hercule is improving his upper body muscles to understand the strength needs of wheelchair athletes. He was impressed by a gymnast who was paralyzed waist down after a fall and became a Paralympian tennis sports champion.

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