The Night 72 Lives Were Lost
Six years ago, on an early summer night, I heard a loud siren. The sirens were loud and loud enough to check the news, knowing that something big had happened. I received breaking news that a high-rise apartment building in the Kensington area of London was on fire. Kensington was quite a distance from where I lived at the time. When I looked out the window, wondering why I couldn't hear the sirens all the way here, I gasped and held my breath. In the distance, a huge pillar of fire towered. It was the Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 6 lives.
The fire started in the refrigerator of a four-story family home, but within an hour it spread to the top of the 72th floor, and the building that houses 4 families burned down. The cause of the small fire spiraling out of control was the newly installed exterior cladding a year ago. It was an inexpensive but highly flammable material that was banned in Europe. In the UK, however, it was able to be used despite opposition from residents, thanks to the steady push by government authorities to ease regulations. In other words, the Grenfell Tower fire was a catastrophe foreseen and obvious man-made from the time it put the interests of industry before life and safety.
In addition, the fact that the fire authorities, who were fighting the fire, repeated the principle guidelines for residents to "stay put" for the first 1 minutes without a clear understanding of the urgent scene, which was also one of the reasons for the increase in casualties.
Documentary 'Grenfel' with no dialogue or background music
Six years later, on April 6, 2023, the screening of the documentary "Grenfel" began at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park. It is directed by Steve McQueen, who won an Oscar for the film "4 Years a Slave." In the 7-minute video, which was released to the public after a private viewing of the survivors and their families, there is no dialogue or background music.
The video begins with an aerial shot overlooking London in the distance. Only the hustle and bustle of life, such as the sound of busy roads and birdsong, can be faintly heard. The helicopter that was filming makes a sharp turn, and soon the remains of a charred building come into view. In an instant, all the sound disappears as if sucked in somewhere, reaching a perfect vacuum.
In the video that followed, only the director's gaze through the camera was captured. There is no story, no drama, only a dry gaze, but there is a pent-up anger in that gaze. The camera, which has been completely covered by charred debris, moves a little closer, rotates slowly, and meticulously records layer by layer from the top. In the building, which has only melted and burned bones, there are only large garbage bags piled up in places, but nothing remains. This is because it was filmed six months after the fire.
Nevertheless, I would like to turn away from the traces of life that are inevitably associated with me, but I can't. Maybe this was the director's intention. The camera moves mercilessly stubbornly from house to house, slowly moving without missing a single house, documenting the tragedy. When you come down to the lower floors, the building is in full swing to cover it with a white cloth.
When the movie ends and you exit the exit, you encounter a white wall. The wall bears the names of 12 victims. One song is repeated six times, reminding us of the pain of a family who was killed together overnight.
How to Remember Tragedy: Record Before It's Erased
McQueen grew up near Grenfell Tower. At the time of the accident, he said he had vowed not to let the social tragedy be forgotten. So when the plan to cover up the rubble of the building became known, he hurriedly filmed Grenfell in the belief that it should be recorded before all traces of the fire were erased. Thus he denounces the tragedy caused by "willful negligence." At the same time, it makes the viewer a witness and makes them remember.