Part of QUAD’s Time-Travel Season.
The Miners’ Hymns Film, Saturday 5th October 7:00pm, QUAD Gallery.
Duration: 52 minutes, colour and B&W
A film by Bill Morrison, original score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, produced by Forma. The former coal mining communities in North East England are the subject of this inspired documentary by American multi-media artist Bill Morrison. Their story is told entirely without words, yet the film is far from silent: it features a remarkable original score by the Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Using rarely-seen footage from the British Film Institute, the BBC, and other archives, The Miners’ Hymns celebrates social, cultural, and political aspects of the extinct industry. Focusing on the Durham coalfield, it depicts the hardship of pit work, increasing mechanisation, the role of trade unions in organising and fighting for workers’ rights, and their annual Miners’ Gala in Durham.