STILL THE ENEMY WITHIN by Owen Gower

A story of working class heroes. Owen Gower's documentary Still the Enemy Within is a tribute to the bravery of the British miners involved in the 1984 strike. And while the story it tells took place thirty years ago, it still feels incredibly relevant and recent.
 
In 1984, Thatcher's iron fist government was on the verge of making yet another sudden unpopular decision that was to spell disaster for the UK's mining industry that had been, up to that point, one of the country's most important sources of employment. The decision was to close down a huge number of mines and it seemed irreversible. There was nothing left to do for the miners but man up and take to the picket lines, kickstarting a passionate strike that lasted an average of one year. Seeing the nationwide threat this strike might cause, Thatcher's stronghold position led her to side with big businesses, and use her authority over the police and even the media to fight back those that dared to oppose her word.
There is no use in denying that Still the Enemy Within is a one sided film that has little time for exploring the two sides of the story, rather choosing to follow the one side - that of the working class. However, given the circumstances that had to be endured by the working class around those times, and even the crippling reputation that lingered in the decades that followed, this is a decision that seems very appropriate. As part of Thatcher's stronghold, she attempted to turn the media against the miners by portraying them as groups of belligerent ghouls and something very close to terrorists. In a way, this is a documentary that offers redemption and even dares to rewrite history by finally turning the cameras and a sympathetic eye to the just cause of the ones whose lives were directly affected by the massive closing down of the mines.
 
These are people that are finally given a chance to speak through interviews and archive footage and illustrate their amazing show of solidarity, sometimes even shown by minority groups who were simoultaneously fighting their own battles, and determination despite the financial oppression they were forced to experience. It also looks at some of these men and how their rise against injustice went on to affect their lives for the worst, sometimes even destroying families. 
 
Filmmaker Owen Gower tells their story with passion and strength, and enriches the viewing experience with some truly delightful touches such as a soundtrack of the time with tracks by bands such as The Specials that convey the cultural context and helps making it entertaining as well as informative. On top of that, the political side of the tale is perfectly balanced by the exploration of the human side of the story, with personal testimonials by the people involved in the strike that add a layer of warmth, nostalgia, bitterness but also optimism. It is, in other words, a powerful modern story of David and Goliath.
 
STILL THE ENEMY WITHIN is in UK cinemas from 3 October  www.the-enemy-within.org.uk