‘Strike: An Uncivil War,’ About Notorious “Battle Of Orgreave,” Wins Audience Award At Sheffield DocFest
deadline.comTuesday marks the 40th anniversary of a grim day in U.K. history: the Battle of Orgreave when police clashed with striking workers at a coking plant, leaving more 100 people injured.
Those shocking events are investigated in the documentary Strike: An Uncivil War, which on Monday – the eve of the anniversary – won the Audience Award at the 31stSheffield DocFest.
News media, authorities, and the Conservative government of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tried to pin responsibility for the violence on the workers, but the film directed by Daniel Gordon lays bare an orchestrated plan by police to attack the strikers. “We have been overawed by how much audiences have been deeply engaged with films at Sheffield DocFest this year, and this is especially true of Daniel Gordon’s Strike: An Uncivil War,” Sheffield Creative Director Raul Niño Zambrano and Managing Director Annabel Grundy said in a statement. “Daniel Gordon’s searing film unpacks what really happened on 18 June 1984, and the use of first-hand narratives perfectly demonstrates how documentary can be used to give voice to those who have been overlooked, as well as how it can continue to inform and inspire discussion around present-day events.” Niño Zambrano and Grundy added, “The world premiere at The Crucible Theatre, which included a brass band and the presence of several of the miners, was extremely moving and we are so proud the filmmaking team chose us as the place to present this crucial piece of history.” Preview screenings of Strike: An Uncivil War will take place across the U.K.
on Tuesday. The film will be released in cinemas on Friday, June 21 by Tull Stories, in partnership with VeryMuchSo and Embankment Films. ”Strike: An Uncivil War took about
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