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A complex that hosted
an unlikely Cold War matchup...
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It was a real barn burner.
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00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,440
The fact that the Soviets
could match them
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00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,040
is really quite impressive.
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00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,480
..a British mine caught up in a
battle
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00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,560
between trade unions
and the Iron Lady...
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00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,880
She was determined to use every
weapon in her arsenal to crush them.
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..a Gothic tower in Memphis,
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plagued from its inception...
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00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,720
This is where they made a crucial
mistake,
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00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,920
and it was one that would haunt the
building for the rest of its life.
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00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,000
..and a sprawling jungle retreat
in Malaysia,
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once fit for royalty.
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00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,480
After an unexpected tragedy,
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his creation would be shattered,
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and there was no-one there to pick
up the pieces.
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In Vilnius, Lithuania's capital,
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a derelict structure evokes memories
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of a remarkable sporting moment.
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We come across this plaza,
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but it's kind of falling apart.
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Looming over all of it is a grand
building
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with a very distinctive design,
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almost like a spaceship
that's come and landed here.
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It's concrete,
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it's brutalist in style.
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It has all the feelings
of a Soviet building.
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Inside, it quickly becomes apparent
that this is an arena.
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In some ways, it recalls a little
bit Lincoln Center in New York City,
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the Great Concert Hall, or even
the Sydney Opera House.
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This is a building with real
aspirations for greatness.
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Built to showcase Soviet excellence,
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an American billionaire ensured
it would host
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a unique Cold War showdown.
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Landing deep behind enemy lines,
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this group of Americans
were treated as heroes.
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The players must've thought
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this was the strangest thing
they'd ever seen.
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July, 1988...
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..thousands of Lithuanians
gather outside the building,
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filling the plaza.
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But these weren't protesters,
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they were basketball fans...
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..desperate to get inside and catch
a glimpse of NBA superstars
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making a rare appearance behind the
Iron Curtain.
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Gintaras Krapikas was one
of the lucky ones.
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But how did an NBA team come to play
in this arena
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during the Cold War?
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Its seeds were sown back
in the 1920s,
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when Lithuanian Americans imported
basketball into the country.
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Journalist Vidas Maciulis
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has been covering the nation's
favourite game for 60 years.
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The sport caught on so quickly,
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Lithuania was crowned European
champions in 1937 and 1939...
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..but these glory days were soon
cut short.
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In 1940, shortly after World War II
had broken out,
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the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania,
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and the national team was absorbed
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into the Soviet system.
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By the mid-1960s,
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Soviet communism reached its zenith.
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The Soviets were ahead
in spaceflight.
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00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,320
Their political system seemed
to be gaining power
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around the world.
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Their sports teams were some
of the best in the world.
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The Soviet leaders really wanted
to project this image of success
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to the rest of the world
and to their own citizens.
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And they embarked on a series
of ambitious projects
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00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:13,920
across its empire.
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Here in Lithuania, construction began
in 1965 on this,
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the Vilnius Palace of Concerts and
Sports.
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It hosted a range of events
and sports,
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including the country's beloved
basketball.
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Sitting alongside Soviet leaders,
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00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,680
it wasn't always the most
relaxed atmosphere.
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00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,960
In the 1980s, with the Cold War
beginning to thaw,
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00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,240
the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
instituted a series of reforms
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00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,800
that promoted a new level of
transparency and openness
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across the Soviet Union.
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00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,160
Gorbachev chose to release
the pressure where he could,
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almost like letting some steam
out of a boiler
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that's close to exploding.
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So he began to allow cultural
exchanges.
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In the United States, Ted Turner,
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a media mogul and owner
of the Atlanta Hawks,
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00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:50,160
was closely watching international
affairs.
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00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,720
Turner was a real character,
real entrepreneur.
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With CNN, he invented the whole
idea of 24-hour cable news,
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and he had a real idealistic streak.
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00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:06,760
And he especially was focused
on doing what he could
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to sort of bridge this divide
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between the West and the Soviet
Union.
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In 1988, the Atlanta Hawks set
off to cross the Iron Curtain
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and play a series of three
exhibition matches
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against the Soviet national team.
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The second of the three
matches would take place here.
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Excitement spread throughout
the basketball-crazed nation.
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Although the arena only held 5,000,
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over 1,000,000 people competed
for tickets.
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00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,720
In fact, it's said that they went
for the equivalent
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00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,160
of a month's wages
on the black market.
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00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,560
So the authorities decided
to also sell tickets
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00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,240
to the practice sessions.
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And the citizens of Vilnius
just packed the stands,
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watching these players practice
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in absolute silence.
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It was as if they were in church.
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The players must've thought
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00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,320
this was the strangest thing
they'd ever seen.
JIM LAUGHS
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On the 27th of July, 1988,
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the two teams stepped out onto this
court
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for the much-anticipated showdown.
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It was a real barn burner.
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00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,880
This was a real hard-fought
competition.
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This Soviet team,
these guys were not pushovers.
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00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,040
On the Atlanta Hawks team
was All-Star Dominique Wilkins,
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one of the greatest slam dunkers
in NBA history.
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But the Soviet team just kept
coming back.
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00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,280
They were known
for their extraordinary level
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00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,200
of physical conditioning.
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00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,080
After a nail-biting match,
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00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:20,880
the buzzer went, ending the game,
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00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,640
and the score was knotted at 92-92.
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00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,560
Now it was time for another
shock for the American team.
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00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,040
The Soviets thought, "OK, that's
fine.
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00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,920
"The game's a tie. Isn't that nice?"
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00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,680
And the Americans were saying,
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"There's no ties in basketball."
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00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,240
Eventually, the Soviets relented,
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00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,720
and they agreed to extend
the match into overtime.
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00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,120
At this point, NBA legend
Dominique Wilkins
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took the initiative.
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00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,800
The final score was Hawks 110,
USSR 105.
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00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,080
The Hawks' victory was a highlight
for this stadium...
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00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,560
..but soon after,
the Palace became the focal point
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00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,480
for a rising independence movement.
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00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,600
Two years after this infamous match,
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00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,440
the Soviet house of cards
came tumbling down.
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00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,920
PROTESTERS CHANT IN LITHUANIAN
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00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,480
After the fall of the Soviet Union,
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00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,040
Lithuania is broke.
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00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,680
And they don't have the money
to support
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00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,880
their reconstructed
national basketball team.
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00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,160
The 1992 Olympics were coming up,
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00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,560
and it was the first time in almost
half a century
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00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,160
for Lithuania to play its favourite
national sport
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00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:04,720
as an independent country.
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00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,080
Gintaras was one of the players
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00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,720
who answered the fledgling nation's
call.
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00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,960
As well as playing for free,
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00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,360
the team desperately searched
for sponsors
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00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,160
to help them fulfil their dreams
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00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,560
of representing Lithuania at the
Olympics.
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And this becomes kind of a cause
celebre for many people in the US.
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00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,440
A lot of NBA players
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00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,240
thought very fondly of the
Lithuanians and their team,
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00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,360
so they lobbied to raise money to
help them compete.
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00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:49,240
The Grateful Dead of all bands
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00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,680
takes an interest in the plight
of the Lithuanian team.
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00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,440
They contribute money
for new uniforms
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and hire a great designer to...to
design this new kit.
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00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,120
At the Olympics, the Lithuanian
team did really well.
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They made it all the way
to the semifinals.
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00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,680
It's only when they come
up against the American dream team
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that they're defeated.
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00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,920
In the end, they came away
with a bronze.
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00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,920
This was a turning point
for Lithuanian basketball players,
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proving themselves
on an international stage.
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00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:03,400
Arvydas Sabonis was one of the first
Lithuanians to join the NBA.
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00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,400
First drafted in 1986,
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00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:11,240
the Soviets refused to let him leave
for the US.
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00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,440
It wasn't until nearly a decade later
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that he finally joined the league.
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00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:21,800
But players like Sabonis helped pave
the way for the many Lithuanians,
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00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,600
including his son, to become
NBA stars.
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And although the Palace fell
into disrepair and closed in 2004,
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the match against the Atlanta Hawks
is fondly remembered
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as the high point of this stadium's
history.
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00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,240
In the English village of Clipstone,
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00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,880
a towering structure stirs memories
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00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,680
of a fateful battle
with a powerful leader.
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00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:17,680
We're in the centre of England,
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near the city of Nottingham.
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00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,240
It feels quiet and rural.
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00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,400
On what looks like the village green
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are two enormous metal monuments
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reaching into the sky.
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00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,800
It feels quite odd that these vast
structures
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00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,760
are marooned in the
middle of a field.
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00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,400
Could this have once been part
of a much larger operation?
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00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,840
There is more to this structure
than meets the eye,
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which goes deep underground.
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00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,720
Directly beneath the tower
is a large circular pad,
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possibly concealing something.
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00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,960
Exploring this place, you'd have no
idea of the riches
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that are buried beneath it
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00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,760
or the controversies that would
surround them.
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00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,160
This structure symbolises one
of the greatest social battles
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00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,080
in Britain's history.
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00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,920
It was a brutal fight between
capitalism and socialism.
201
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,800
Margaret Thatcher
versus the trade unions.
202
00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,160
Many have never forgiven
the Iron Lady.
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00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,840
Clipstone local Doug Broadfoot
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00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,760
remembers first hand the legacy
of Margaret Thatcher.
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00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:40,640
For nearly 30 years, he relied
on this place for his livelihood.
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00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,640
These structures, to me,
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00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,520
it's a symbol of what this village
was all about.
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00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:48,840
I left school on the Friday,
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00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,400
and then I...I started on the
Monday.
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00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:57,280
This was the main place
of employment for...for the village.
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00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:58,800
Apart from this,
there was...there was nothing.
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00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,720
There was just one or two local
shops.
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00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:04,440
When Doug first worked here,
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00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,960
this was part of an industry Britain
couldn't function without.
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00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:16,560
Coal had powered the Industrial
Revolution.
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00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,280
And Britain had hundreds
of coal mines,
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00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,520
which were scattered across the land.
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00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,960
So much so that in the 19th century,
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00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,560
it was mining two-thirds
of the world's coal.
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00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,880
This is the Clipstone Colliery.
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00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,680
When it opened in 1922,
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00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,280
it proved to be a coal mining
powerhouse.
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00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,480
Entire communities sprung
up around the mines,
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00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,080
and were reliant on them for their
livelihoods.
225
00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,240
It quickly became one of the most
productive mines in Britain,
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00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:59,360
extracting more than 4,000
tonnes per day by the 1940s.
227
00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:05,440
But this was also a period
of profound change in the country.
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00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,840
In 1947, as part of the post-Second
World War shake-up,
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00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,560
the coal industry was nationalised
under the British government.
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00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,000
The first day of a new era.
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00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,760
Its new owner wouldn't always see
eye to eye
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00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,680
with the powerful trade union,
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00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,200
which represented
around 1,000,000 miners.
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00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,960
The National Union of Mineworkers,
or NUM,
235
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,800
who had long represented
miners across the country,
236
00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:41,440
supported the nationalisation...
237
00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,720
..but eventually the two sides
would come to an almighty clash.
238
00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:49,720
In the 1950s,
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00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,120
these two giant towers,
240
00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,560
or headstocks, were installed.
241
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,440
At the time, they were the tallest
in Europe,
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00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,520
and allowed access to deeper coal
seams.
243
00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:09,080
So, 24 hours a day, these shafts
were running continuously.
244
00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:10,640
It was 24/7 at the pits,
245
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,040
so they had to keep everything
going.
246
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:18,400
An elevator could would take the men
more than 900 metres underground.
247
00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,400
The elevator could travel
up to 27mph.
248
00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,000
Just imagine hurtling at that speed
for that long
249
00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,560
down towards the centre
of the Earth.
250
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,400
And this is where we used to come
at the start of the shift
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00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,400
to go down the mine.
252
00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,360
For the first 20, 30 metres,
253
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:39,400
you go nice and steady,
254
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,400
then you went straight to full
speed.
255
00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,280
You just had to keep swallowing now
cos your ears would pop.
256
00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,120
Sometimes it was very cramped.
257
00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,320
If you were at the front,
you're like sardines.
258
00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:51,560
Face was being pushed against
the wire curtain at the front.
259
00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,840
Down in the mines, workers
were regularly dicing with death.
260
00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,160
You could be killed by cave-ins,
dangerous gases, fire,
261
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,760
and even a condition called black
lung.
262
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,360
There was dangers lurking
around every corner...
263
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,840
..so you had to be on your toes
and alert.
264
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,080
You looked after each other
down there.
265
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,960
Despite digging deeper
to save their jobs,
266
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,680
by the 1980s, Doug and his colleagues
267
00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,160
were increasingly in
fear of the mine closing down.
268
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,320
Coal was being replaced
by new energy sources,
269
00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:34,240
such as nuclear, gas and oil.
270
00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,880
By 1984, the number of British
miners
271
00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,360
had fallen from over 1,000,000
50 years earlier
272
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,440
to barely 200,000.
273
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,000
As the numbers of unemployed rose,
274
00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,000
the miners union was gradually
becoming more radical
275
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,160
in its outlook.
276
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,360
More and more pits were
being closed,
277
00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,800
setting the stage for an almighty
war
278
00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,920
between the miners and a new
prime minister
279
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,800
famous for getting her own way.
280
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,720
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher
was elected prime minister.
281
00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,240
She planned to close inefficient
mines
282
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,920
and begin to depend on cheaper
imports.
283
00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,120
She also believed that trade unions,
like the NUM,
284
00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,040
had too much power.
285
00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,920
She became determined
to break their influence.
286
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,680
At that time, I wasn't really
involved in unions,
287
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:40,280
but I was starting to, you know,
listen and take note.
288
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,120
I was at an age where I've got
young family,
289
00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,760
and I thought, "I'm gonna be on the
scrapheap,"
290
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,080
cos most of the jobs
round about here were...were mining.
291
00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:50,800
And that's when it...I thought,
292
00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,080
"There's gonna come a time
293
00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,080
"when we're gonna have to stand
up and be counted."
294
00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:02,520
In March, 1984, Margaret Thatcher
announced a new wave of pit closures,
295
00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,360
with the loss of 20,000 jobs,
296
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,000
triggering a strike which quickly
spread across the country.
297
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,920
Miners arrived at Clipstone to find
picket lines of strikers
298
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,120
blocking them from going to work.
299
00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,800
And I came down, and, uh, there were
some pickets there.
300
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,640
And asked our support, and so I
says, "Yeah,"
301
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,520
because we were fighting
for the jobs.
302
00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,480
It wasn't just our job,
it was their jobs as well.
303
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,080
From then on, we didn't
really look back.
304
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,080
Three-quarters of miners
across the country
305
00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:43,240
joined the strike...
306
00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,520
..but at Clipstone, Doug himself
was in the minority,
307
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,880
as most chose to continue working.
308
00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,480
Thatcher seized on this by idolising
the working miners,
309
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,800
describing them as heroes who
simply wanted to go to work
310
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,320
rather than submit to the threats
of the strikers.
311
00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:09,240
Reports appear of those
who have been intimidated
312
00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,160
because they seek to go
to their place of work,
313
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,160
to pursue their occupation,
314
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,400
and to support their families.
CROWD APPLAUDS
315
00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,800
As well as attempting to divide
the miners,
316
00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,240
Thatcher mobilised an army of police
317
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,800
to crush the national strike
and break the pickets.
318
00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,120
They set up roadblocks throughout
Nottinghamshire
319
00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,200
to prevent any suspected strikers
from travelling.
320
00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:43,680
Clipstone continued to operate
under police protection,
321
00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,200
and the entire village was locked
down.
322
00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,960
There was literally hundreds
and thousands of police
323
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,000
in this area.
324
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,080
It was absolutely flooded
with police
325
00:22:56,120 --> 00:22:58,920
stopping the, uh, pickets coming in.
326
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,280
And this was happening
all over the country as well.
327
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,920
Some criticise Thatcher
for using the police
328
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,160
as a paramilitary wing of the state.
329
00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,840
They weren't here to keep the law,
330
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,480
they were here to make sure
that those who wanted to work
331
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,520
got into work and they kept
producing coal.
332
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,440
Nothing else.
333
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,360
Scenes of violence played out on TV
screens every night,
334
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,120
shocking the British public.
335
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,280
REPORTER:Nearly 300 were arrested
336
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,960
and more than 200 pickets
and policemen injured.
337
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,000
But an ugly streak of violence
338
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,480
has disfigured our television
screens night after night.
339
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,800
Many strikers felt the police
were unnecessarily brutal,
340
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,760
with beatings and random arrests,
341
00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,200
something Doug personally witnessed.
342
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,080
They got strikers sacked, arrested,
343
00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:58,400
for doing absolutely nothing,
344
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,200
and some of them have never worked
since.
345
00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:02,840
Some of the miners,
346
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,120
their lives were ruined
w-with injuries as well.
347
00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,320
It happened here at Clipstone
348
00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:13,440
where there were one or two...two
of the lads got arrested,
349
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,040
and sorry, but they did absolutely
nothing.
350
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,880
It was all trumped-up charges.
351
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,280
Policies introduced by Thatcher's
government
352
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:26,400
also limited the amount
of unemployment benefits
353
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,480
that strikers' families could
receive.
354
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:31,360
REPORTER:The Leightons and other
striking families
355
00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,840
have clubbed together to make sure
they have all they need.
356
00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,240
The families of strikers like Doug
357
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:41,160
were forced to rely on the NUM's
charity soup kitchens.
358
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,320
But the union's charity
fund had almost run out.
359
00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:48,960
More and more desperate miners
360
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,800
were starting to return to work.
361
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,440
The strike had lasted an entire year.
362
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,440
In the years after the strike,
363
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,840
the pace of closures was
accelerated,
364
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,240
with many pit villages falling
into deep poverty.
365
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,360
Clipstone survived this turbulent
period
366
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,400
and continued operating,
367
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,880
but with a much smaller workforce,
368
00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,760
before closing down in 2003.
369
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:29,040
Today, there are just a handful
of coal mines in Britain,
370
00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,520
employing less than 500 people.
371
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,080
But Clipstone is set to find new life
372
00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,560
as an event centre and museum.
373
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,120
In Southwest Tennessee,
374
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,840
a skyscraper towers over a city
375
00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,200
with a proud musical heritage.
376
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,440
Memphis is a bustling town
on the Mississippi River,
377
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:05,320
and it's filled with country music
and blues and jazz,
378
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:08,320
and it's a really vibrant,
happening city.
379
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:13,800
More than anything, it is known
as the birthplace of rock and roll.
380
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,520
Right in the heart of it all
is this towering monolith.
381
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,400
It is an imposing structure.
382
00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,440
It looks strong and sturdy.
383
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,000
Trying to piece together what this
place was used for isn't easy.
384
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,040
There are dentist chairs,
old medical equipment,
385
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,360
signs for attorneys' offices,
collection offices.
386
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,400
There's even a bathroom with leopard
print wallpaper on the walls.
387
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,560
Once known as the Queen of Memphis,
388
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,520
this place attracted
rock 'n' roll royalty.
389
00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,560
A well-known music producer,
390
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,960
he had a company called
Stars, Inc. on the 19th floor,
391
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,520
and he was the manager of Elvis
Presley and Johnny Cash.
392
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,000
This was the biggest, the best,
the most luxurious building
393
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:08,880
Memphis had ever seen.
394
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,480
It was designed as a monument
to success,
395
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,400
but it was built on shaky
foundations.
396
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,960
It always piqued my interest,
it felt like a haunted house,
397
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,720
it felt like a 30-storey haunted
house.
398
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,440
There are fire escapes
rusting and tattered.
399
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,440
There's gaping open windows
400
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,000
with kind of old curtains streaming
out of it.
401
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:32,760
It's a pretty epic building,
402
00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,080
and it sits on what you would
imagine would be prime real estate.
403
00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:39,160
So it seems strange to see
it left to rack and ruin.
404
00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:43,480
Its founders set it up for failure
405
00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,880
before the first brick had been laid.
406
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,160
This is where they made a crucial
mistake,
407
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,960
and it was one that would haunt the
building
408
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:54,560
for the rest of its life.
409
00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:06,960
Like many locals,
410
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,560
Stuart Harris was drawn to the
mystery
411
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,040
of this vast, cavernous structure.
412
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,320
He still remembers the day
it was closed down.
413
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,000
The building was abandoned
when I was nine years old...
414
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,440
..and I always wondered
what was going on in there.
415
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,480
While it looks monolithic,
416
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,280
it's packed full of surprises.
417
00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,960
So after decades of wondering
what the inside looked like,
418
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,480
I had an opportunity to visit it.
419
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,480
And it was so mysterious,
420
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,400
and in some ways, not at all what I
expected.
421
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,520
When it was built, this lobby
was neo-Gothic.
422
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:51,960
It was very grand.
423
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,800
High ceilings, bronze rosettes,
leaded glass.
424
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,000
No expense spared.
425
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,720
The concept was a city within a city,
426
00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,080
an office block that had everything
a worker might need,
427
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,000
all housed in one building.
428
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,360
It had a cigar stand, a newsstand,
429
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,160
a barber shop, beauty shop,
430
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:20,000
lawyers, dentists, doctors.
431
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,880
Everything you could possibly
imagine.
432
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,320
Construction started in 1928,
433
00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:31,000
costing the equivalent of over
£34,000,000 in today's money.
434
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,120
Its owners were two wealthy Texans,
435
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:36,640
Ross S. Sterling...
436
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,920
..and Wyatt Hendrick.
437
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,680
They decided to merge their last
names,
438
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,640
and the Sterick Building was born.
439
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:50,440
900 offices, accommodating
5,000 office workers,
440
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,560
spread across 29 floors.
441
00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:00,880
It was born in the roaring 1920s,
442
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,920
a period of great prosperity in
America.
443
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,040
Memphis is absolutely booming,
444
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,200
and it's the centre of the cotton
trade.
445
00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,360
Between 1880 and 1920,
446
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,720
over 70% of the cotton in America
447
00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:21,000
was harvested within 200
miles of Memphis.
448
00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,960
And that meant a lot of money
and a lot of jobs
449
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:25,680
and a lot of new buildings.
450
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:31,160
This real estate boom was seized
on by Sterling and Hendrick.
451
00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:36,280
And being Texans, and Texans either
go big or go home,
452
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,320
uh, decided they were gonna make
a splash.
453
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,440
And they picked the busiest corner
in Central Downtown,
454
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,720
the corner of Madison and 3rd
Street,
455
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,880
which is now BB King.
456
00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,680
Not only did they choose
a prime location,
457
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,160
inside, no expense was spared.
458
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,920
One of the things they added
were eight high-speed elevators.
459
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:04,920
These elevators were manned by eight
ladies in dresses and bows,
460
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,760
who would greet visitors and act
almost as a concierge
461
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:12,000
to take them to whatever floor
they were visiting.
462
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:13,600
Rumour has it they moved so quickly
463
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,520
that it was causing people to get
sick,
464
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,280
it was messing with their
equilibrium.
465
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,240
They'd have to stop halfway
just to not get sick.
466
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,560
The building was making waves,
467
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,680
and some new tenants
just couldn't stand the wait.
468
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,120
There's a great story that people
were so excited
469
00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:34,160
to get into the building
470
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,400
that a...a doctor who rented one of
the offices
471
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:40,960
would take a ladder up every
day to her window
472
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:42,400
to get inside the office,
473
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,320
since the elevators weren't working
yet
474
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:45,960
and the stairs weren't finished.
475
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,320
Now, we don't know if her patients
also went up the ladder.
476
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,440
The press described the grand
opening
477
00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:01,240
as probably one of the greatest
housewarmings in Memphis history.
478
00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:03,640
By the '40s and '50s,
479
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,360
this building is absolutely at full
occupancy.
480
00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,000
Among these occupants
481
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,480
were some famous rock 'n' rollers.
482
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,640
Sterick was home to lots of local
radio stations,
483
00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,040
and it was also where Bob Neal,
a famous early DJ,
484
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,360
had his offices and studios.
485
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,760
He had a company called
Stars, Inc. on the 19th floor,
486
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,360
and he was the manager of Elvis
Presley and Johnny Cash.
487
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:37,120
He set up the King's first live
performance here in Memphis,
488
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,320
and put on local variety shows
489
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,920
where you could see these soon-to-be
global superstars
490
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,480
for as little as 50 cents a ticket.
491
00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,320
Uh, Bob helped Elvis found
Elvis Presley Enterprises,
492
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,200
and is the managing company
of Graceland,
493
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,480
Elvis's mansion in South Memphis.
494
00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,520
But with Elvis clearly heading
for the big time,
495
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,040
Neal, tired of life on the road,
496
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,360
decided not to renew his contract...
497
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,800
..and the now infamous Colonel Tom
Parker took over.
498
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,520
Times were good,
499
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,800
and the owner of the Empire State
Building bought the tower.
500
00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:25,080
But urban depopulation
that impacted cities across America
501
00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,920
in the 1960s and '70s
502
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:29,680
was compounded in Memphis
503
00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:34,840
by the assassination of Dr Martin
Luther King Jr in 1968.
504
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:41,040
As more people began to leave
the city and move to the suburbs
505
00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,000
or take their offices elsewhere,
506
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,760
it really began this process
of a death by 1,000 cuts.
507
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:55,720
In 1973, the Sterick Building was
repossessed by the bank,
508
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,760
which led to an assessment of the
original contract
509
00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:02,240
signed by Sterling and Hendrick in
1926.
510
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:07,120
It revealed the property deal
was far from conventional.
511
00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:11,880
So incredibly, they didn't buy
the land
512
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:13,680
where their skyscraper would be.
513
00:34:13,720 --> 00:34:17,080
They simply leased it for 99 years.
514
00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,040
The lease would be up in 2025,
515
00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:23,680
and stipulated the building
516
00:34:23,720 --> 00:34:27,240
was to be handed back
to the landowners in good condition.
517
00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:32,520
If anyone wanted to make
improvements to this building,
518
00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:36,200
why would they wanna do that
when, in 2025,
519
00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:39,800
all of the improvements, every dime
they spent on the building,
520
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,200
would go entirely back to the family
that owned the land?
521
00:34:43,240 --> 00:34:45,080
No-one was willing to make
that investment.
522
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,680
But Stuart is part of an ownership
group
523
00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:54,120
that has managed to break
the curse of the 99-year lease.
524
00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:01,000
In 2023, we were able to come
to an agreement with all parties
525
00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,800
to, uh, dissolve the entire lease
structure
526
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,400
and create a fee simple
structure of ownership,
527
00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,880
so that lease is no longer standing.
528
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:24,200
Plans are underway to convert
the tower into an apartment block,
529
00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:27,400
combined with hotels and restaurants.
530
00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:32,080
We really hope that it's gonna be a
catalytic project
531
00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,880
that really radiates activity
from here around the neighbourhood,
532
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,520
and really affects the core
of Downtown Memphis.
533
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:50,560
On the outskirts of Kuala Terengganu
in Eastern Malaysia,
534
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:54,600
the bustling urban sprawl
quickly gives way to nature.
535
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,560
You don't have to stray
too far from the city
536
00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,680
before things start getting very
remote.
537
00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:09,720
I'm talking hot, dense jungle.
538
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,600
In a small clearing, set back
from a winding river,
539
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,480
you come across a curious collection
of wooden buildings.
540
00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:25,320
Seven different structures, set
on stilts,
541
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,280
are connected by walkways.
542
00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,760
The construction looks
old-fashioned,
543
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,320
but the fact that it's made
of timber
544
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,760
makes it really hard to date it.
545
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,680
In this tropical climate,
546
00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:43,880
nature is rapidly reclaiming what
once belonged to the jungle.
547
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:47,760
So some of the planks
have rotted away,
548
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,600
the structure's starting
to collapse...
549
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,640
..and it's just really hard to tell
what it was used for.
550
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,880
Have when you enter the building,
551
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,120
there are surprising signs of
modernity.
552
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:04,400
You look around and you see
beautifully tiled bathrooms,
553
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:07,840
a fridge, even an air-conditioning
unit.
554
00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:09,440
It's also filled with the remnants
555
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,720
of what looks to be perhaps
some textile industry.
556
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,440
This was much more than just a home,
557
00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:20,160
this was one man's dream
to safeguard his nation's heritage.
558
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,600
But when tragedy struck,
559
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,600
his vision was shattered.
560
00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,080
Syed Mohd Hanafiah is a carpenter
561
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,680
who helped construct this complex
with Tengku Ismail,
562
00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:55,800
the man behind a bold and unusual
vision.
563
00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:13,200
He may have been a man of the people,
564
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:16,480
but he came from royalty.
565
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:19,760
Tengku actually means prince,
which is what he was.
566
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,960
He was a prince of the local
Terengganu royal family.
567
00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,880
While his great-grandfather,
Sultan Zainal Abidin III,
568
00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:32,080
had ruled over the entire
Terengganu province,
569
00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,880
Ismail was far removed from direct
line to the throne.
570
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,680
Tengku Ismail was born in the 1950s.
571
00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:42,640
And being the second cousin
to the ruling sultan,
572
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:46,040
you know, he was in no danger of
becoming king,
573
00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:48,320
but he still grew up with all the
trappings
574
00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,840
of being in an aristocratic family.
575
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,600
That included living in his
great-grandfather's royal palace.
576
00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,240
There, he fell in love
577
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,880
with the traditional Malay
architecture and culture,
578
00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:06,560
including songket,
a cloth sewn in silk or cotton,
579
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,840
then highlighted with gold
or silver thread
580
00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:12,360
to create a silky metallic fabric.
581
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:21,840
In 1970, that passion took him
to the Osaka Expo in Japan,
582
00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,480
where he not only represented
Malaysia,
583
00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:28,560
but he also displayed
the songket cloth for the world.
584
00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:34,320
While in Japan, he took the
opportunity to visit the Nijo-jo
Palace,
585
00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,080
built in 1603.
586
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:39,640
It was a transformative moment.
587
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,240
He was so impressed by what he saw
588
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:45,360
and the way that these wooden
structures were preserved,
589
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,320
that he decided he would do the same
thing
590
00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:48,960
for his own cultural heritage.
591
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:11,920
So, he decided to salvage traditional
Terengganu homes
592
00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,480
and unify them into one structure
593
00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,480
to imitate an 18th-century royal
palace,
594
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:20,400
just like the one he grew up in.
595
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:25,160
The ambitious project was called
Pura Tanjung Sabtu,
596
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,880
which is a combination of the local
village name
597
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:29,800
and the word for palace.
598
00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:35,120
In 1992, he began scouring Terengganu
599
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,560
for these traditional wooden houses.
600
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,080
Uh, these very old houses are put
together
601
00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:44,200
with no nails, no screws.
602
00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:49,160
It's just been all cut and built
by very skilled workers.
603
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,800
So what he has to do is take them
all apart,
604
00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:55,000
transport them to his space,
605
00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:56,520
and then put them all together.
606
00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,800
So, the carpenters have to be
extremely skilled
607
00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:03,840
at cutting the different wooden
pieces
608
00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,240
so they slide together and
fit snugly
609
00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:07,840
without seam or lock.
610
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,240
Part of Ismail's project
611
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,440
was attempting to revive
his beloved songket.
612
00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:20,440
On the ground floor,
he had an entire area, uh,
613
00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,520
dedicated to the manufacture and
display of the fabric.
614
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,680
When completed in 1996,
615
00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,360
it opened as his personal residence,
616
00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,720
but also a museum and hotel.
617
00:41:38,720 --> 00:41:43,880
And in 2007, his efforts
appeared to have paid off.
618
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,520
He was nominated for the Aga
Khan Architecture Award.
619
00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:51,360
The awards celebrate design
excellence
620
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:56,080
in societies with predominantly
Muslim populations.
621
00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,480
Tengku Ismail described it as one
of the happiest moments of his life.
622
00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:02,800
Finally, it seemed as if everything
was coming together.
623
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,640
In June 2011, the Prince travelled
to London
624
00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,440
for a popular international
weaving exhibition.
625
00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,120
Held at the School of Traditional
Arts
626
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:18,080
and supported by King Charles III's
charitable foundation,
627
00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,040
his songket collection was a central
feature.
628
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:25,520
But tragically, the prince died
of a heart attack
629
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:27,480
before he left London,
630
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:31,680
and his beloved palace
has since fallen into disrepair.
631
00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:44,360
There was some talk of turning
it into a heritage site
632
00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,160
that tourists could visit.
633
00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,080
But until someone's willing to fund
that enterprise,
634
00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:51,440
it will continue to decompose.
635
00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,160
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52012
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