Q&A: Director Of Steel Film On ‘Incredible’ Time Filming Community Reps

What began as a pint in a Port Talbot pub snowballed into a four-year long filming project for filmmaker Joe Cornick, the director of newly released documentary, Steel: The Blood Of Us.

The film, described as a “love letter to the community of Port Talbot”, weaves together the stories and experiences of generations of steelworkers, exploring the town’s deep-rooted identity as an industrial heartland.

Joe spoke to a number of Community members for the film (David Bowyer, Alan Coombs, Gary Keogh, John Tetsill and Vince Lewis), all of whom added colour to the tales he had first heard in a Port Talbot pub several years ago.

During a screening at London’s Genesis cinema, Joe said he was inspired to make the film after speaking to some steelworkers, having made the decision to stop somewhere for a drink following a trip to the Brecon Beacons.

“I realised very quickly that everything I knew about Port Talbot, through the news and through the media, was pretty negative”, he told the cinema audience.

In a Q&A with Community, Joe details what it was like to film in Port Talbot, and at the steelworks, which he views as the beating heart of the industrial port town.

Why did you want to direct a film about steelmaking in Port Talbot?

“I stopped for a pint in Port Talbot around five years ago and after sitting in a pub chatting to some retired steel workers I came to realise that what I knew about Port Talbot, that I’d seen in the news and the media, was actually quite a negative portrayal of a place like Port Talbot – a working class town with steel at it’s heart.

“And in that moment, I knew that I wanted to create a project that took the community together as a single vision, and a single story, and give an accurate portrayal of what a place like Port Talbot really is.”

What did you learn from speaking to Community reps and did you feel inspired by any of the stories they told you?

“I learnt everything from the reps of the Community Union, it was incredible to spend time with them, going to the retired members branch meetings and really gaining an amazing insight into the legacy, the history and the overall structure of the steel industry, especially in Port Talbot.”

The blast furnaces closed in 2024 and this was a devastating moment for our union and our members, what were people’s reflections on this and how did you want to portray this?

“There was incredible emotion in the town during the time of the blast furnaces being run down, and although the film doesn’t directly look at those closures, it looks at the legacy left behind after them and also the celebration of what steel means to Port Talbot, not only before the blast furnaces closed, but also after it.”

What were some of the challenges you encountered while making this project?

“Getting access to the steelworks was the biggest challenge and the Community Union and Tata Steel were incredibly helpful in giving us access to film around the site, particularly before key areas of the plant were closed.

“So being able to get our 16 mil cameras in to areas to capture elements for the National Archive on proper film was really important and I think the Community Union and Tata both recognised that and really, really supported us.”

What kind of impact or legacy do you hope this film will have ?

“I hope this film gives a message to the future (and I hope) that people can gain insight into what it’s like to be from a place like Port Talbot, what it means to be a part of a community like Port Talbot.

“For working class stories and generations of steel workers and heavy industry workers, this can remain in the National Archives for future generations to come.”

You can view key moments from our interview on any of your favourite platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.