THE IDEA
In 1984, Margaret Thatcher labelled 160,000 striking miners, their families and supporters, ‘The Enemy Within’. It was to be the longest national industrial dispute in British history. As the strike began, a group of miners emerged who were prepared to fight on the front line of every major battle.
Dubbed ‘Arthur’s Army’, they were to lead a fight-back that would not just rock the government but would change British society forever… Still the Enemy Within uncovers the hidden story of these remarkable people and their role in The Great Miners' Strike of 1984 – 85.
Thirty years on, we catch up those who fought on the front line. Many of them have never spoken on camera before. Their stories are often funny, occassionally tragic but ultimately inspiring. Through their eyes we look back at a country at war, and the ordinary men and women who were forced to step on to the stage of history to fight for their communities.
Often, the story of the Miners' Strike is told simply as the story of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher vs Miners' leader Arthur Scargill. Here we’ll meet the real leaders on the ground who spent every day for a year, fighting not just for their jobs but for the soul of the country.
WHY NOW?
The film will be completed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the strike in 2014. We hope to secure a limited theatrical release, screening at independent cinemas nationwide throughout the anniversary year.
With a Tory government back in power, and the recent death of Margaret Thatcher next year will see a huge battle of interpretation for the legacy of the strike. This along with the call for a public inquiry into the policing of Orgreave, means it has never been so important that people learn the lessons of that year and what really happened.
Still the Enemy Within will be a truly unique insight into one of Britain’s most dramatic struggles. 30 years on, there has never been a better time to tell their story.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
We have conducted over 70 hours of interviews with ex-miners, women and supporters, up and down the country including those from the LGBT and Black and Asian support groups.
We have also filmed at the Durham Miners’ gala, the CWU conference in Bournemouth, the David Jones/Joe Green memorial in Barnsley and at the Tory party conference demonstration in Manchester.
We have started to edit the film and we are aiming for a rough cut by March 2014 ready to finish the film by the end of May.
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO
Use Archive-There is so much amazing material from the time, much of it never seen before. We want to use film, stills and other material to bring the real story of 'Arthur's Army' to life. This cost thousands of pounds to process, transfer and research. We need to pay for a skilled Archive Producer to help us track down all the unknown or unseen footage to craft a really engaging narrative.
Drama Reconstruction- We plan to fillm stylish black and white abstracts to help recreate the personal stories of those involved. This is vital part of the film which has emerged after filming our interviews. Many things that happened in the strike were away from the cameras so filming these will be a key part of telling the story.
Further Shooting- We would like to interview miners from Wales and Nottingham as well as more women and supporters who were involved centrally in keeping the strike going
Post-production - So far this project has relied on everybody working on it for free but people cannot live on fresh air and passion alone. We are reaching a vital stage where we need to pay editors and production crew to work on the film day and night in order to complete it, in time for the anniversary. We are aiming to get a rough cut ready by March, which can be used to secure the final pieces of funding we need to finish the film.
CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge to this project is raising enough money so we can afford to work on this project full time until May. Everybody working on this project has been working full-time and part-time for free but unfortunately this is unsustainable. There is an enormous amount of work to do and we need to expand our team and pay our editors full time.
THE TEAM
This film is being made by Bad Bonobo, bringing producers Mark Lacey and Sinead Kirwan together with director Owen Gower on their first feature documentary. Owen has an extensive background in factual television and documentaries, most recently producing on the landmark natural history series ‘The Burrowers’ for the BBC. Owen began his career co-shooting the flagship Channel 4 documentary ‘Antony Gormley: Making Space’ with acclaimed director Beeban Kidron. Since then he has worked on a number of major television documentaries including the triple Emmy award winning ‘First Life’, with David Attenborough, as well as a huge range of productions for the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky One, National Geographic, Discovery and The History Channel. This will be his first feature film as director.
They are collaborating with Mike Simons, the author of two acclaimed books on the strike: ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears: Photographs from The Great Miners' Strike’ and ‘Striking Back. The project is also being made in collaboration with photographers John Sturrock and John Harris of reportdigital.co.uk and Martin Shakeshaft from Past Pixels, who took some of the most iconic images of the strike. They are donating all their images free of charge.
The film builds on the 30 year relationship Mike and Sinead have had with the miners and their families. This has allowed us access to people who have never been willing to talk about their experiences on camera before.
Malcolm Hadley is a highly experienced Director of Photography with a strong background in specialized cinematography for stop-motion features, commercials , series animation and documentaries. As an integral member of the team he has played a key role in developing the films look and feel, through a combination of creative flair and scrupulous technical consideration. As the film combines beautifully shot interviews and abstract drama recon, he is the perfect man for the job. Has collaborated with some of the best directors in the business including Tim Burton, Peter Lord and Nick Park.
Simon Modery is a London-based film editor. He has extensive editing credits from corporates and promos to feature-length drama and documentary. His latest documentary “Four Horsemen” has been an international festival success. He has a passion for political documentaries and has the ideal combination of creative instincts and technical expertise needed for the project.
SUPPORT FOR THIS FILM
We have recieved support nationally from The Fire Brigades Union, The Communication Workers Union and the National Union of Teachers , Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust and Dartmouth FIlms
We need your help to make sure the film is completed it, so donate today!
Ken Loach, John Pilger and Christopher Hird have backed a new landmark film about the miners’ strike Still the Enemy Within. Veteran film-maker Ken Loach, director of 1985 miners' strike film 'Which Side are You on?,' were among those who attended a special event to launch the films crowd funding page.
“The mainstream media didn’t tell the truth about the miners’ strike when it happened. And the same lies are still being told. It’s therefore important that we tell this story. The film should be made,” Mr Loach said after the event.
John Pilger, who reported from pit villages during the strike, said “This is an important film. What happened to the miners in the 1980s is happening again in other forms - as an increasingly totalitarian state touches our lives. If you can, please support this project.
Christopher Hird, who is the managing director of Dartmouth Films, is one of the films executive producers and will offer his expertise on documentary distribution and marketing.
We had an absolutely fantastic night last night. Matt Wrack, general secretary of FBU and Jane Loftus from the CWU gave enthusiastic messages of support for the film. Jane pointed that absolute necessity of using solidarity to help us raise funds push the film out next year, Matt described how the FBU will use the film in educating new and young members and the parallels between the miners in 84 and Fire Fighters today. Chair of the Durham Miners Gala Dave Hopper pledged that Durham NUM would financial back the film as did members of Unison, the NUT and Doug Nicolls from the General Federation of Trade Unions promised to raise support for the film. In total we have already raised well over 5k in pledges- now to get your individual donations in and remember to share this page with all your friends!
