Vogliamo creare un archivio, vogliamo far sì che coloro che hanno perso lo sciopero non perdano il loro posto nella storia.
Vogliamo creare uno strumento, per tutti coloro che desiderano entrare in contatto con le attuali lotte sociali e politiche,ed imparare da una delle più grandi lotte sociali e politiche mai combattute
(Still) The Enemy Within will tell the story of the 1984-85 miners’ strike through the voices of the miners that made it happen.
- Launched: Dec 4, 2012
- Funding ends: Feb 1, 2013
“Although it feels like a life time away, the miners’ strike has never really left us behind, the ones who directly lived through it – who experienced the highs and the lows of fighting for the right to work. Realistically it’s never left the consciousness of this country. That is why it’s so important the right stories are told, the right voices are heard.” Louise Harrison, daughter of Keith Harrison, Askern Colliery NUM
(Still) The Enemy Within will tell the story of the 1984-85 miners’ strike through the voices of some of the tens of thousands of young miners who followed their union president Arthur Scargill through a year of unprecedented struggle. It will describe the experiences of ordinary people – striking miners, their families and supporters across the country – who had no choice but to step on to the stage of history in one of the biggest industrial disputes Britain has ever seen.
Why did the miners fight? What was gained? What was lost? How did they change personally? What has happened to the communities and areas that were the battlegrounds for nearly a year? Finally, what has happened to those described as by Thatcher as `The Enemy Within’ ?
We want to share a unique and compelling story, introducing the amazing and brave characters who played such a massive role in British history.
We want to create an archive, we want to ensure that those who lost in strike do not lose their place in history.
We want to create a tool, for all those who wish to engage with current social and political struggles, to learn from one of the greatest social and political struggles ever fought.
Bob Light explains why he is supporting our film
HOW WILL WE MAKE IT?
In 2013 we will conduct a number of one and two day workshops around the country interviewing ex-miners, their supporters and their families. Through these interviews we will piece together the narrative of the strike from the point of few of those involved.
Alongside this, we will follow the everyday lives now of those who were described thirty years ago as ‘jack booted pickets’. We will discover if the strike still affects them, if it has influenced their personal lives and if they still think about it. What is about them as individuals that drew them to the dispute? The film will culminate a trip to Durham miners gala where we hope to bring together different groups from around the country.
WHY NOW?
The film will be completed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the strike in 2014. We hope to hold a series of screenings at independent cinemas nationwide around the anniversary, as well as secure broadcast for the film on a major television channel. Thirty years on the voices from Britain’s longest, most bitter strike still need to be heard.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP?
We have access to fantastic contributors, beautiful photographs and hardworking crew (filming starts in January, in Yorkshire, so you know they´re keen). But we need your help for the following:
Camera kit: We want to make a beautiful film as well as tell a story; capturing the stunning rural landscape that was turned into a battleground for nearly a year. As professionals we know the better our camera equipment, the easier it is to do this. The camera we will use will cost £200 per day to hire, we will be shooting for a minimum of 14 days at an estimated cost of £2800.
Travel: Due to the cost of petrol and trains and the rural nature of many of the ex-mining areas, at least £600 will be spent on travel to and from South Yorkshire alone.
Food: We need to feed our crew and contributors on filming days. If people are working for free, they need to be well fed or they get well fed up! This will cost between 70 to 100 per day. Minimum estimated cost will be £980.
Post-production and archive footage: We need money for storage and space to work in, as well the all important archive. It costs thousands of pounds per second to use archive from the BBC and ITN. Although we have set our target as £6000, every extra penny will be spent on licensing archive footage and raising the quality of the film. So if you want to see the footage of Orgreave played the right way round, please donate generously.
Please support this film!