Brassed off - Mit Pauken und Trompeten (GB 1996; R: Mark Herman)

Northern England, 1992: The musicians of a miners’ band are rehearsing for the national finals, while their coal mine is threatened with closure. When they lose their jobs, their musical enthusiasm wanes, but solidarity and friendship rekindle their will to fight and their will to live. A passionate, socially conscious film, straddling the line between quiet comedy and drama, that places human dignity at the center of its narrative and emphasizes the power of solidarity. Brilliantly acted and sensitively shot, the film draws on the traditions of socially engaged English cinema while simultaneously expanding upon them.
Recommended for ages 14 and up

Introduction: Wigbert Oslender