KEMIRA - DIARY OF A STRIKE
DOCUMENTARY 1984
In September1982, at the height of an economic recession, the BHP Feature announced its intention to close down some 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 pit a group of 31 miners occupied the pit and established themselves 5 kilometres underground. The strike caught the imagination of the whole town.
The wives and supporters of the miners 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
Making "Kemira - Diary Of A Strike"
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