Films:
Section 4: Reconstructing HistoryThis documentary film by Mike Figgis records Jeremy Deller's work The Battle of Orgreave 2001, in which Deller restaged a violent clash between police and striking miners at Orgreave coking plant, South Yorkshire, that occurred during the 1984-5 miners strike.
The re-enactment involved many of those originally involved in the 'battle' alongside members of re-enactment societies; in an extra twist, some of the police are played by former miners, and vice versa. Testimonies, reminiscences and interviews reveal the conflict's continuing effect on family life. By drawing out individual and collective memories, some of which contradict each other, the film works against providing a complete and definitive document. As such the film resonates on many levels. It demonstrates the media's power in reporting (or misreporting) such incidents and how the 'reality' of news is framed within establishment ideology.