The film, made by Stephanie Farmer and Kerstin Stutterheim over two years, explores the athletes’ relationship with sport, attitudes to disability and the importance of media coverage.
The screening was followed by a Q&A with Farmer, Stutterheim, Shuker, Smith and Lewis Coombes, BBC South Today Sports Editor, who reported on the Paris games.
It’s a harder task than it once was: audiences are more fickle than ever and there’s more choice from many more outlets, whether they are broadcasters or streamers. But there were many potential answers – among them, authentic local programming, sport, live shows, brand recognition and greater consumer choice – offered by the panellists in an informative session.
Has anyone managed to catch any Olympics and Paralympics TV coverage? Lol, I’m joking - you’d need to have spent six weeks on Mars to miss it.
TV has always had the power to influence society, going beyond merely reflecting it. This includes the power to influence our attitudes to disability and inclusion. For a couple of glorious weeks every four years, our screens are full of disabled people. There are the Paralympians themselves, the disabled presenters and reporters, and the disabled talent behind the screens.
Viewers already groaning under a surfeit of TV sport this summer ain’t seen nothin’ yet – the Paris Olympics is a whole different ball game. Or, more accurately, 329 different medal events, from traditional athletics, cycling and swimming to newfangled climbing and skateboarding.
