A unique insight into one of British history’s most dramatic events: the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike. Forty years on, this is the raw first-hand experience of those who lived through the UK’s longest strike. In 1984, a conservative government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war on the unions, announcing the closure of coal mines and threatening not just an industry but whole communities and a way of life. Against all the forces the government could throw at them, 160,000 coal miners took up the fight and became part of a battle to change the course of history. Owen Gower’s passionate documentary tells the story of a group of miners and supporters who were on the frontline of the strike for an entire year. These were the people Margaret Thatcher labelled ‘the Enemy Within’.

Screening followed by a Q&A with Executive Producer Mike Simons.

Banner image credit: John Sturrock (Report Digital)

Mike Simons is an award-winning journalist and film maker. He reported from the front line of the miners’ strike throughout 1984-85 for Socialist Worker, and is the author of three books on the dispute: The Great Strike (with Alex Callinicos), Blood Sweat and Tears (with John Sturrock and Roger Huddle) and Striking Back.