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| Abba filmmaker angered by striking miners portrayal | Abba filmmaker angered by striking miners portrayal |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Kjell-Åke Andersson returned to the former mining village of Oakdale almost 40 years after making his documentary there | Kjell-Åke Andersson returned to the former mining village of Oakdale almost 40 years after making his documentary there |
| What do one of the best-selling groups of all time - Abba - and Welsh miners have in common? | |
| Both have been captured on film by Swedish director Kjell-Åke Andersson. | Both have been captured on film by Swedish director Kjell-Åke Andersson. |
| Three years after directing one of Abba’s final music videos, The Day Before You Came, he travelled to south Wales to make a documentary about the miners' strike. | Three years after directing one of Abba’s final music videos, The Day Before You Came, he travelled to south Wales to make a documentary about the miners' strike. |
| The film, Breaking Point, is a snapshot of life in Oakdale, Caerphilly county, in the winter of 1985 - a month before the strike ended. | The film, Breaking Point, is a snapshot of life in Oakdale, Caerphilly county, in the winter of 1985 - a month before the strike ended. |
| Kath and Ray Francis say they got caught up in the politics of the strike and it inspired her to go to university | |
| "For me it was about showing the miners’ solidarity instead of Thatcher’s propaganda," said Andersson. | |
| The 75-year-old filmmaker returned to the south Wales valleys to meet some of the families he’d not seen for almost 40 years. | The 75-year-old filmmaker returned to the south Wales valleys to meet some of the families he’d not seen for almost 40 years. |
| Ray and Kath Francis, who live in the same house in Ystrad Mynach where their four children grew up, are one of the focal points of the documentary. | Ray and Kath Francis, who live in the same house in Ystrad Mynach where their four children grew up, are one of the focal points of the documentary. |
| Between 1984-85, Ray was among 22,000 other Welsh miners who were on strike. | Between 1984-85, Ray was among 22,000 other Welsh miners who were on strike. |
| His wife, Kath, joined the many other women who supported the miners by setting up food collection and distribution groups. | His wife, Kath, joined the many other women who supported the miners by setting up food collection and distribution groups. |
| “When I met Kath and Ray again, it was very emotional for me - and in the same house 40 years on – it was so emotional," said Andersson. | |
| The documentary shows Oakdale miners on the picket line in the village discussing the latest developments during the strike | The documentary shows Oakdale miners on the picket line in the village discussing the latest developments during the strike |
| The national miners' strike of the 1980s caught the attention of the world's media. | The national miners' strike of the 1980s caught the attention of the world's media. |
| But Andersson didn't feel the situation of the miners was being portrayed fairly by international media back home in Sweden. | |
| He had already experienced the effect of the miners' strike on families in Bargoed during 1974, where he'd spent many months as a photographer. | |
| "In 1984, I was angry because the newspapers and the TV was describing the strike from Mrs Thatcher’s point of view and I hated that, so I said I need to go there and make a documentary because this is not the right view of the strike," he said. | "In 1984, I was angry because the newspapers and the TV was describing the strike from Mrs Thatcher’s point of view and I hated that, so I said I need to go there and make a documentary because this is not the right view of the strike," he said. |
| A NUM lodge secretary clashes with a police officer on the picket line outside Oakdale colliery in Breaking Point | A NUM lodge secretary clashes with a police officer on the picket line outside Oakdale colliery in Breaking Point |
| Andersson said he wanted to show the solidarity of miners in the south Wales valleys and how the support of the women was a crucial part of their year-long strike. | |
| The experience of the strike transformed many women's lives, including Kath Francis, who went to study for a degree at university and became a social worker. | The experience of the strike transformed many women's lives, including Kath Francis, who went to study for a degree at university and became a social worker. |
| Her husband Ray said the experience of joining miners on picket lines and organising food collections for the miners made her more confident. | |
| "It was wonderful. We got really caught up in the strike," he said. | "It was wonderful. We got really caught up in the strike," he said. |
| "I would take the children to school. I would learn how to cook. We would share out the chores. | "I would take the children to school. I would learn how to cook. We would share out the chores. |
| "I will say this much and a lot of people will say the same, if it wasn’t for the women, we wouldn’t have lasted that long." | "I will say this much and a lot of people will say the same, if it wasn’t for the women, we wouldn’t have lasted that long." |
| Andersson said he quickly came to realise how women's roles were changing. | |
| "I think the strike had a good effect on the women who got a chance to act, not just as a woman or a wife, but in some ways, they were at the same level as the men. Their position was in the front and not in the background," he said. | "I think the strike had a good effect on the women who got a chance to act, not just as a woman or a wife, but in some ways, they were at the same level as the men. Their position was in the front and not in the background," he said. |
| Margaret Matthews in Breaking Point, making a point during a heated exchange at the local food committee meeting | Margaret Matthews in Breaking Point, making a point during a heated exchange at the local food committee meeting |
| Kath and a few other women are seen knocking on doors in their local area asking for donations of money or food for the miners. | Kath and a few other women are seen knocking on doors in their local area asking for donations of money or food for the miners. |
| There’s also a heated exchange in a meeting between the miners’ wives and the secretary of the food committee. | There’s also a heated exchange in a meeting between the miners’ wives and the secretary of the food committee. |
| Margaret Matthews tells him: "One [miner] told me, I’m not going out in this, it’s raining. We go out in it and it’s their bloody fight..." | Margaret Matthews tells him: "One [miner] told me, I’m not going out in this, it’s raining. We go out in it and it’s their bloody fight..." |
| Four decades later and her recollection of the incident is vague, but Margaret said she still remembers feeling angry about the situation. | Four decades later and her recollection of the incident is vague, but Margaret said she still remembers feeling angry about the situation. |
| "The lodge secretary rang my husband and asked him if he’d shut me up – to come and have a word [with] me because he said I was upsetting the men. | "The lodge secretary rang my husband and asked him if he’d shut me up – to come and have a word [with] me because he said I was upsetting the men. |
| "I was quiet. I still am, but that just got me. We were fighting for our lives," she said. | "I was quiet. I still am, but that just got me. We were fighting for our lives," she said. |
| Oakdale Miners' Institute, which is now located at St Fagans National Museum of History, features throughout the film as miners gathered to discuss the strike | Oakdale Miners' Institute, which is now located at St Fagans National Museum of History, features throughout the film as miners gathered to discuss the strike |
| Poverty and despair had increased during the course of the strike, which led to many miners across Britain returning to the pits. | Poverty and despair had increased during the course of the strike, which led to many miners across Britain returning to the pits. |
| On 3 March 1985, miners returned to work on the instruction of the National Union of Mineworkers. | On 3 March 1985, miners returned to work on the instruction of the National Union of Mineworkers. |
| Breaking Point highlighted the solidarity of many mining communities in south Wales during what was to become the final few weeks of the strike. | Breaking Point highlighted the solidarity of many mining communities in south Wales during what was to become the final few weeks of the strike. |
| Andersson said he did not sense the strike would end soon while he was filming the documentary. | |
| "I didn’t feel a breaking point," he said. | "I didn’t feel a breaking point," he said. |
| Shortly after he returned to Sweden to edit the film he learned that it had ended. | Shortly after he returned to Sweden to edit the film he learned that it had ended. |
| "I had a short time to make the film and we just concentrated on one family and some other people and the union meetings," he added. | "I had a short time to make the film and we just concentrated on one family and some other people and the union meetings," he added. |
| "Maybe if I had done more interviews with other people maybe I’d have seen that, but this was my experience of it." | "Maybe if I had done more interviews with other people maybe I’d have seen that, but this was my experience of it." |