This film is part of Rentals

This film is certified

I confirm I am over 15

Title of error

Above Us the Earth

Karl Francis’ docu-drama about the closure of the Ogilvie Colliery in the Rhymney Valley by the National Coal Board in 1975.

Documentary 1977 82 mins

Director: Karl Francis

Rent for £3.50

Overview

Independent Welsh filmmaker Karl Francis uses amateur and professional actors to explore the community impact of the 1975 closure of the Ogilvie Colliery in the Rhymney Valley, a few miles from his family home. Critical of the National Coal Board and the trade unions, the film focuses on the fractious interactions between politicians and union leaders, teasing out the forces that are attempting to divide the community.

The film examines with brutal honesty the dilemma of the mining communities during the closures and highlights the issues of employment. Francis doesn’t let any negotiating parties off the hook as he examines a raft of contributing factors, almost forensically, from diverse perspectives.

Director

Karl Francis

Featuring

Windsor Rees , Gwen Francis , Dai Morgan and Evan Jones

Genres

Documentary

Certificate

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Accessibility

Rent for £4.50

No Other Land No Other Land

Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham

This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.

Rent for £3.50

South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic

Documentary 1919 81 mins Silent Director: Frank Hurley

An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica.

Rent for £3.50

The Ballymurphy Precedent The Ballymurphy Precedent

Documentary 2018 108 mins Director: Callum Macrae

John Pilger's film on the conflict in Northern Ireland is a skilful mix of investigative journalism, documentary storytelling and reflections on contemporary history.

Rent for £3.50

Utopia Utopia

Documentary 2013 111 mins Director: John Pilger and Alan Lowery

John Pilger's portrayal of the oldest continuous human culture is also an investigation into a suppressed colonial past, and rapacious present.

Rent for £3.50

The Coming War on China The Coming War on China

Documentary 2016 113 mins Director: John Pilger

John Pilger’s prescient 60th film for ITV is both a warning and an inspiring story of resistance.  

Rent for £3.50

Supersonic Supersonic

Documentary 2016 117 mins Director: Mat Whitecross

Relive the stratospheric rise of the kings of Britpop in this rousing nostalgic trip from the producers of Amy.

Currently unavailable

Easy Street Easy Street

Comedy 1917 26 mins Silent Director: Charles Chaplin

The Little Tramp decides to start anew and train as a police officer; what could possibly go wrong when he’s posted on the beat in ‘Easy Street’.

Subscribe to watch

Young Soul Rebels Young Soul Rebels

Drama 1991 105 mins Director: Isaac Julien

The Queen's Silver Jubilee beats to the sounds of Funkadelic, Sylvester and the O'Jays in Isaac Julien’s feature debut.

Rent for £3.50

Giro City Giro City

Drama 1982 102 mins Director: Karl Francis

Glenda Jackson and Jon Finch play Welsh investigative journalists covering the Troubles in Northern Ireland only to unearth censorship and corruption back home.