KEMIRA - DIARY OF A STRIKE
DOCUMENTARY 1984
In September1982, at the height of an economic recession, BHP announced its intention to close down several of its coal mines near Wollongong south of Sydney. The worst affected was Kemira colliery where 300 workers were to lose their jobs. 20 days before the closure of the mine a group of 31 miners occupied the pit and established themselves 5 kilometres underground. The strike captured the imagination of the city.
The Womens Auxiliary organised a kitchen, while fellow miners set up an embassy at the pit-top and kept vigil. A general local strike culminated in a train journey to Canberra. On arrival, several thousand miners and steelworkers stormed Parliament House bringing the issue to the attention of the whole nation.
The film captures these dramatic events and then proceeds to follow the fortunes of some of the strikers and their families. The film also reveals the wider historical, economic and political context.
STILLS
My Director’s notes
Kemira - Diary of a Strike started spontaneously. 16 miners from a BHP colliery were suddenly presented with retrenchment notices. They barricaded themselves underground in a mine near Wollongong on the NSW south coast. It was an event that perfectly captured the spirit of the times. It was the early 80's and the comfortable days of near-to-full employment were over! The reduced demand for coal, both domestically and internationally, led to oversupply and falling coal prices. The pit closures were seen as necessary for the company to remain financially viable in a struggling market. I wanted to capture all the drama that was there in the heat of the moment. Looking back it seemed a crazy thing to do, but I decided to take the plunge. I shot as much as I could with a crew working on deferred wages gambling I would somehow raise the budget later, which is what happened.
RESOURCES
Kemira - Dairy of a Strike Flyer
Kemira - Diary of a Strike STUDY GUIDE
Kemira - Diary of a Strike REVIEWS
Interview with director in FILMNEWS
AWARDS
KEMIRA – DIARY OF A STRIKE won the AFI award for Best Documentary 1984.
The film played in film festivals around the world including Sydney, Melbourne, Berlinale, Leipzig and Festival de Populi. The film won Best film, Tyneside Film Festival UK, 1984.
ARTICLES
SHOWING SOME FIGHT: KEMIRA’S CHALLENGE TO INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
By Rebecca Coyle and Lisa Milner
FILMMAKER Q&A
FilmNews, October 1984