Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
BARELY LEGAL MASS PICKETING
Pride (movie) - when Welsh miners and gay activists teamed up to fight Thatcher
- Thread starter dynamicbaddog
- Start date
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
a show of naked hands. Palms exposed.
Thanks very much for that. I really enjoyed it and wondered how well it captured the people involved. Lovely to hear from someone who knew them that the film captured them so well.Finally got a chance to see it this afternoon, really enjoyed it. When I heard they were making the film I was a bit concerned that we were going to be portrayed as yokels, but having seen it I think it's a very fair depiction of the people of Cwm Dulais at that time.
Obviously it's a movie rather than a documentary so artistic licence has been taken for the sake of the story, but it captures the truth of what happened. For some reason the street scenes were filmed in the neighbouring village of Banwen (where the Comic Strip's 'Strike' was also shot) rather than Onllwyn, but it captures the bleakness of the Upper Dulais Valley, though it's more rural today than it was thirty years ago; now the colliery and the coal tips have been flattened.
The non-welsh actors didn't quite capture the accent for me but that's probably only noticeable if you're from the Valleys, the cast all give good performances. The minibus is spot on, exactly as I remember it
It's strange to see people you knew portrayed on film. Hefina ran the Post Office in Onllwyn when I was a little boy and I was at school with her daughter, Imelda Staunton really captures her formidable spirit. Cliff was someone I knew quite well as a boy, a friend of my grandfathers, and though I remember him as being more physically robust than he's portrayed here, Bill Nighy really captures his air of sadness.
There's a moment I found really emotional, when he's telling the visitors about the great seam of anthracite that runs beneath the Atlantic from South Wales to Pennsylvania; that's such a Cliff moment, exactly the kind of thing he'd tell us about as kids. He was a good man, a kind man, I never knew about his brother - I'll have to ask my Dad about it.
I was surprised by the scene when he tells Hefina he's gay, it was something everyone guessed but was never spoken about in the village. I dont think he ever came out in public, I would never have said anything if it wasn't in the film.]
It's a great story I'm very glad they made a decent film about it, and as always I remain proud to be a son of the valleys
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
Finally got round to reading that. Really interesting interview - thanks for the link.
Looking forward to seeing this, but Lazythursday is really on the money here: has distance allowed people to think about the 84/85 Miners Strike as a cuddly feelgood cultural event, and is that feeling widely shared? Because let's face it, the supporters of the miners were the few, and those who conspired to destroy them and our industrial base, and to bring about the credit/services/leisure nexus we now live in,were the many. Blame Maggie and the NCB all you like, but they had the tacit support of the millions who quietly shared their vision. And I don't think its a guilt thing - they would do it again for no money to defend their right to complacent disengagement. Ultimately I think it's about people wanting it all ways simultaneously.
But not your great auntie?Chatting to my youngest brother on facebook about the film, turns out Hefina was his great auntie. Bloody pit villages, everyone is a relative somewhere along the line
Just found this thread ( thank you Brixtonscot) .
Just wanted to make a few points relating to things raised much earlier in the thread .
The young miners wife who spoke at. 85 gay pride march was indeed Sian James - the first time she had ever spoken to a crowd of more than a few dozen .
She's not ( thankfully) retiring , I think it's more a case of leaving parliament in order to get involved in politics again.
The LGSM member speaking at the Lexi and raising money for Soma was actually me
I'm not an invented character , though there are elements if the character that are drawn from other real people and as mentioned I 'me not actually Jonathan's partner .
I think the scene where Cliff talks about the Great Atlantic Fault is based on a real conversation ( or several) - I certainly remember him talking with real pride about the Peacock Seam (worked at Abernant, Cefncoed and Onllwyn ), the difficulty of working it and the quality of the coal.
As Belushi says , he was a physically much larger man than Bill Nighy , and his character was quite different , but that scene is very true to him. I remember that visit to Castell Cerrig Cennin with him , Hefina , Sian as well.
If anyone hasn't seen it - do go . ( and go to see Still The Enemy Within to)
And if anyone is anywhere near Tywyn , i 'm speaking at a screening there on the 17th oct - come and say hello .
Some of us will be speaking at screenings at Blaenavon Big Pit and in Llanelli soon as well .
Just wanted to make a few points relating to things raised much earlier in the thread .
The young miners wife who spoke at. 85 gay pride march was indeed Sian James - the first time she had ever spoken to a crowd of more than a few dozen .
She's not ( thankfully) retiring , I think it's more a case of leaving parliament in order to get involved in politics again.
The LGSM member speaking at the Lexi and raising money for Soma was actually me
I'm not an invented character , though there are elements if the character that are drawn from other real people and as mentioned I 'me not actually Jonathan's partner . I think the scene where Cliff talks about the Great Atlantic Fault is based on a real conversation ( or several) - I certainly remember him talking with real pride about the Peacock Seam (worked at Abernant, Cefncoed and Onllwyn ), the difficulty of working it and the quality of the coal.
As Belushi says , he was a physically much larger man than Bill Nighy , and his character was quite different , but that scene is very true to him. I remember that visit to Castell Cerrig Cennin with him , Hefina , Sian as well.
If anyone hasn't seen it - do go . ( and go to see Still The Enemy Within to)
And if anyone is anywhere near Tywyn , i 'm speaking at a screening there on the 17th oct - come and say hello .
Some of us will be speaking at screenings at Blaenavon Big Pit and in Llanelli soon as well .
Gethin R , also Croeso (from a non Welshman) here in SA. We saw the film 3 weeks ago and we were massively impressed.
I'm quite frustrated not to be able to vote for Sian next time, now she's retiring from MPdom. In case people don't know, she's one of the 43 who last week in Parliament voted against war (more than 500 voted for
).
She's sound.
I'm quite frustrated not to be able to vote for Sian next time, now she's retiring from MPdom. In case people don't know, she's one of the 43 who last week in Parliament voted against war (more than 500 voted for
).She's sound.
kalidarkone
Bringing YOU round.....
Just been to see this and can honestly say it's the best film I have seen this year! Loved it! Took me right back to my own involvement in politics and activism in the same period.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
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Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
Saw this a few weeks ago. Deeply moving and doesn't put a foot wrong. Period details and feel were spot on - it was like getting in a fucking time machine. It will probably get classed as a cosy 'feel good' movie in the vein of Brassed Off, Full Monty or Billy Elliot - but its much harder, darker and genuinely inspirational than them (not that there;s anything particularly wrong with the first two - billy elliot is shite though). Aside from the fantastic performances, I liked how they depicted the mining community with respect and didn't patronise . A remarkable piece of film making and the best account of those times I've seen. Sadenned and somewhat surprised that is hasn't been more of a hit.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
I've got it on pre-order on Amazon. Bit disappointed it wasn't released a bit earlier so people could buy it for Christmas presents
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
It is odd, especially as the 23rd isnt even a monday.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Yeah, reckon it'd have flown off the shelves
Doesn't matter really, as I have two birthdays (30th Dec and 1 January) so hopefully I'll be able to get them to recipients in time for birthdays
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Just got an email off Amazon saying new delivery date is now MARCH!
ddraig
kicking against the pricks...
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Having now seen the film,i was wondering which parts were fictional - and this very interesting interview on the internal/lefty/organising side of things answers one key one:
Dear Love of Comrades: The politics of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners
Dear Love of Comrades: The politics of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
It doesn't seem to mention miners either! It's the back cover people are moaning about:
likesfish
You can't park here sir
I can imagine in the states anything lgbt which isn't porn is a wtf do we do with it problem?
Label it lgbt and it gets dumped with fire fighters with big hoses .
Which limits its appeal seeing its an indie film you'd think whoever was doing the DVD realise wasn't a complete idiot.
Obviously you'd think that but you'd be sadly wrong.
Label it lgbt and it gets dumped with fire fighters with big hoses .
Which limits its appeal seeing its an indie film you'd think whoever was doing the DVD realise wasn't a complete idiot.
Obviously you'd think that but you'd be sadly wrong.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
I can imagine that any american homophobe who bought that might be a bit shocked by the gay pride maerch in the first 10 minutes of the film. People who wouldn't watch it just because it said 'gay' on it might benefit from seeing it, so good luck to them.It doesn't seem to mention miners either! It's the back cover people are moaning about:
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
In 1990 we still produced tshirts to raise money for Lesbian and Gay Pride that didn't say 'lesbian' or 'gay' on them - because they wouldn't sell...
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
That's pretty much been the justification - on commercial grounds. That it's not anti-gay.That it just won't sell and will be shunted off to a 'queer films' section that doesn't get as much attention - backed up by cold hard figures. Which isn't to say that it's been done to promote the films message either. They've got bigger fish to fry.
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