The Oscar-winning film director
Steve McQueen is to finally show his unflinching film of the burnt-out ruin of Grenfell Tower, which he hopes will help the push for justice before the sixth anniversary of the disaster.
The 24-minute film,
Grenfell, was shot from a helicopter in December 2017, shortly before the charred tower in west London was wrapped in white plastic. Without words or music, McQueen’s camera relentlessly circles the council block, often at close quarters, allowing viewers to see into rooms where people died and white-suited forensic investigators sifting evidence.
McQueen grew up in his early years on the nearby White City estate and said he felt compelled to make the film as soon as he heard that officials planned to wrap the tower in the months after the 14 June 2017 blaze.
“It was almost like a race against time,” he said. “Once things are covered up, they are forgotten about, or it can be more convenient for people who want it to be forgotten about.”
McQueen is certain of the causes of the Grenfell disaster.
“It was deliberate neglect,” he said. “It was no accident. There were so many people, so many companies, so many factors … It was all a deliberate act of neglect and, to a certain extent, greed.”
The film comes as negotiations continue about what to do with the tower. Parts of the community are keen to keep at least some of the building as a reminder of the disaster and because it is effectively a burial ground. Others would prefer it to be demolished and replaced with a memorial such as a garden or museum. The film may prompt fresh appraisals of that dilemma.
“... Justice gives me energy. Truth gives me energy … It needs to be shouted from the highest rooftops.”