Richard Curtis references Al Pacino 'locker room' speech to incite global action

KUALA LUMPUR - Filmmaker and Sustainable Development Goal Advocate Richard Curtis and his organisation, Project Everyone recently released a special version of the famous ‘Inch by Inch’ locker room speech.

Delivered by Al Pacino in the Warner Bros. Pictures film Any Given Sunday, the new cut of the scene puts it into the context of reaching ‘halftime’ for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and includes new lines especially recorded for this version of the scene by Pacino.

"The Halftime Campaign asks everyone to come together to achieve the SDGs by 2030. I am genuinely optimistic that with the right action and political will, in seven years, we could be looking back at one of the greatest second-half comebacks of all time.

"It has been very exciting to work with Al Pacino’s extraordinary speech to illustrate the passion and sense of urgency that is needed to turn things around,” said Curtis in a statement.

The film was launched to highlight the fact that the world is now at Halftime when it comes to the SDGs, a collection of 17 goals agreed by world leaders at the United Nations (UN) in 2015, aimed to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

However, only 15 per cent of the goals are on track to be met, with the triple impact of Covid-19, conflict and the climate crisis reversing years of hard-earned progress.

The film is being released as leaders prepare to gather at the UN General Assembly in New York.

To highlight that the world is at Halftime when it comes to the goals, renowned artist Es Devlin has designed and built a unique art installation at UNHQ, the SDG Pavilion, which is kicking off with a ‘Halftime Show’ on Sept 18, featuring global talent and world leaders. - BERNAMA