Tuesday 31st August 2010

Video: An 'Ode To Salt' At Bonneville

Speed Week 'art movie' makes us wish we hadn't missed it. Again...

---

The heat, the noise, the artfully-engineered incarnations of classic American performance cars, and of course that amazing alien vista of the sun-baked salt flats. Yes, from this side of the planet Bonneville Speed Week has always looked like a great adventure that evokes the most romantic side of 'backyard' motorsport.

Sadly we've never been, so wouldn't be surprised to hear the reality is more about beer-swilling red-necks, exposed beer bellies, hot dog wrappers and empty Bud cans swirling around the dusty RV park. But still, we can dream.

Meanwhile this terrific short film by Josh Clason helps support our romantic vision of the event. It's called Ode To Salt and features words by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

Ode to salt

This salt
in the salt cellar
I once saw in the salt mines.
I know
you won't
believe me
but
it sings
salt sings, the skin
of the salt mines
sings
with a mouth smothered
by the earth.
I shivered in those
solitudes
when I heard
the voice
of
the salt
in the desert.
Near Antofagasta
the nitrous
pampa
resounds:
a
broken
voice,
a mournful
song.

In its caves
the salt moans, mountain
of buried light,
translucent cathedral,
crystal of the sea, oblivion
of the waves.
And then on every table
in the world,
salt,
we see your piquant
powder
sprinkling
vital light
upon
our food.
Preserver
of the ancient
holds of ships,
discoverer
on
the high seas,
earliest
sailor
of the unknown, shifting
byways of the foam.
Dust of the sea, in you
the tongue receives a kiss
from ocean night:
taste imparts to every seasoned
dish your ocean essence;
the smallest,
miniature
wave from the saltcellar
reveals to us
more than domestic whiteness;
in it, we taste finitude.

[soad]

Loved that. Great variety too!

[Mini1275]

soad said:

Loved that. Great variety too!

. Great film, surely it's on most PH'ers must visit places before they die, list?.

Edited by Mini1275 on Tuesday 31st August 10:59

[dvance]

Awesome film, thanks PH, now I can start my day properly

[Mickyturbo]

I've been,the racers and everyone you meet on the salt are the nicest people I've ever met in any form of motorsport.To hear a race engine on wide open trottle for 5-8 miles makes the hairs stand up on the back of youre neck.Because of the size of the place,plus no features on the landscape,200mph look slow,but feck me,400 mph looks fast,you know the car is travelling.
Lastly Im disappointed in the auther of the piece suggesting the racers/fans leave can's and rubbish blowing in the wind.In actual fact the place is spotless,and everyone threats the place with the respect it deserves.You'll even notice in the video that racecars in the pits are parked on a tarpaulin to stop any fluid from hitting the salt.

Edited by Mickyturbo on Tuesday 31st August 11:44

[Chris-R]

Mickyturbo said:

Lastly Im disappointed in the auther of the piece suggesting the racers/fans leave can's and rubbish blowing in the wind.In actual fact the place is spotless,and everyone threats the place with the respect it deserves.You'll even notice in the video that racecars in the pits are parked on a tarpaulin to stop any fluid from hitting the salt.

Edited by Mickyturbo on Tuesday 31st August 11:44

I wasn't suggesting they do, but it's good to hear they don't.

[Oddball RS]

Great if a little wierd film, i have to be honest its really never done it for me, yes great cars, shoved by trucks etc, give the black top instead.

[HowardB]

I thought that there was a government health warning for salt - 6g max per day?

There seems to be much more than 6 grams of salt there,...!

[2Munkys]

That was Brill!

[coleclough]

Made by someone who understood. Beautiful and very evocative. The skill and talent and self belief that is capable of making those cars and then running them is real pure American .Proves there ain't no such word as "cannot" not out there anyway.

[fastcars_hardy]

after having a hard day at work that was a good way to end it.

[vintageracer01]

coleclough said:

Made by someone who understood.

There is nothing you can add.

What a wonderful video clip.
Sometimes motorsport itself is art!

[tristanspeed]

Great subject matter and cleverly chosen music make the film. Shame the engine noise came in 2/3 of the way in - either mix it from the start or keep your nerve and leave it out. I would have liked to see some of the drivers' faces as well as the cars, and I never felt that the filmmaker actually got out onto the flats to see some speed runs, but instead set up his little dolly near a few nicely parked old motors and left it at that. No in-car shots either - a few blurry images from a vibrating minicam taped to a speed machine would have helped the rhythm of the edit and transmitted the ambience of the event. But for anyone with even a vague passing interest in automotive Americana, it's great. I'd like to see one from the Eiffel mountains next please...

[Chas-Chiro]

Now that is a brilliant short video. Very well put together and has great feeling.

[will261058]

Got to add this to my "to do " list, just below Route 66 East to west. Been Stateside many times for work but never on holiday. Looks like I need to get saving and book a long one!

[rob.e]

Lovely!

Well done for finding this PH.

[Doshy]

Awesome!

Now a must go........

[jamespink]

Mickyturbo said:

I've been,the racers and everyone you meet on the salt are the nicest people I've ever met in any form of motorsport.To hear a race engine on wide open trottle for 5-8 miles makes the hairs stand up on the back of youre neck.Because of the size of the place,plus no features on the landscape,200mph look slow,but feck me,400 mph looks fast,you know the car is travelling.
Lastly Im disappointed in the auther of the piece suggesting the racers/fans leave can's and rubbish blowing in the wind.In actual fact the place is spotless,and everyone threats the place with the respect it deserves.You'll even notice in the video that racecars in the pits are parked on a tarpaulin to stop any fluid from hitting the salt.

Edited by Mickyturbo on Tuesday 31st August 11:44

I am going to book for next year, that's it! Fabulous piece of film, wonderful cars. I have been to Salina Grande in Argentina and you can hear a truck coming for at least 5 miles so a full race engine flat out must be awsome! Can't wait! Thank you for a beautiful article...

[Aerostar]

I really like that film. Thanks. As for the American cars, I must admit a few years ago I didn't think much of them, but I am really starting to enjoy that customized, retro look these days.

[ukrick]

You can go here and see some more of this guys work...http://vimeo.com/user3410040/videos