The 1984/85 Miners’ Strike opened a great wound in the soul of the nation. It divided communities, transformed the way we are policed and re-shaped the country with consequences that are still being dealt with today. Packed with raw, emotional testimony and explosive archive, this landmark series of three powerful, stand-alone stories looks at the events of the strike through the eyes of those directly involved on the front line, on all sides. In each film, we have tracked down a wide range of people who were filmed during that tumultuous year – both striking miners and those who continued to work, as well as their families, and many are telling their stories for the first time. In many ways, the series argues, the strike was a seminal event in modern British history: a fork in the road which has defined the lives of workers in Britain ever since.
Series Filmed and Directed by: Tom Barrow
Series Producer: Zora Kuettner
Producer/Director for episode 2: Christian Collerton
Executive Producers: Neil Crombie and Joe Evans
Film Editors: Chris Nicholls and Sean Mackenzie
Archive Producer: Miriam Walsh
Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle for Britain Swan Films
"Bracingly good series." - Radio Times
“If you are old enough to remember the strike, this was a painful but riveting reminder.
If not, this is a first-rate education." - ★★★★★ - The Times
"Tom Barrow directs this gripping three-part series exploring the lasting psychological and
socio-political impact of the horrifically divisive miners' strike...The programme does a fine job
of conveying that, for the strikers, their whole lives and identities were at stake." - The Guardian
"This powerful new series of standalone stories recalls a defining year in British history through
archive footage and first-hand accounts of those who were there." - The Daily Mail
"Compulsive viewing for anyone who wants to understand why we are where we are
politically and socially in this country today." - Primal Scream