Animation company Gritty Realism Productions based in Tredomen Business and Technology Centre have won a Zoom Cymru Award for Best Film for their animated film based on the reminiscences of miner’s wives who were involved in the 1984 – 1985 strike.

Funded by the Arts Council of Wales, Communities First and Caerphilly Arts Development the film, ‘Striking Stories’, takes an often humorous look at how this experience changed the lives of these women. It was made with young people in the Caerphilly area from Senghenydd Youth Drop in Centre and St Martin’s School working with professional filmmakers Jeremy Roberts and Gritty managing director Gerald Conn.

Photo: Gerald Conn (Gritty Realism Productions), Charlotte Moss, Nikki Pitten, Matthew Thorne (Senghenydd Youth Drop in Centre)

The company had previously won a Zoom Award for their film ‘Shadows of Senghenydd’ in 2014 which was also made with SYDIC and was screened at the San Francisco Film Festival. ‘Striking Stories’ involved a group of girls from the youth centre who interviewed a number of local women about their role in the 1980s strike. These interviews were edited and the young people drew storyboards to illustrate these stories.

The film also involved working with pupils from the Lansbury Park Estate at St Martin’s School in Caerphilly. The school has a strong track record in film with school leavers now working in the animation industry. Gerald also returned during the post-production stages of the film to record a song by a former pupil Megan Churchland. The film had its premiere screening in Blackwood Miner’s Institute.

One of the young people, Charlotte Moss, said about the project:

It was fun because we got to interview people and generally learn more about the strike.