Gordon Brown has encouraged “every politician” to watch Steve McQueen’s film Grenfell, recently exhibited at the Serpentine, on the sixth-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The former prime minister took to Twitter to highlight the film, made by the Oscar-winning artist McQueen. “It is 6 years on from the tragedy of the Grenfell fire,” he wrote. “Steve McQueen’s powerful art installation show @SerpentineUK should now be seen by every politician to consider what happens next.”
Grenfell was filmed in December 2017 before scaffolding was erected. The run time is 24 minutes and is without words or music. It was filmed in a single shot taken from a helicopter that slowly circled the burnt-out building.
Today marks six years since a fire engulfed the North Kensington building, killing 72 people. Combustible cladding on the tower fuelled the flames.
McQueen grew up in West London and explained his reasoning behind making the film. “I knew once the tower was covered up, it would start to leave people’s minds,” McQueen said. “I was determined that it never be forgotten.”
Survivors of the fire and those who lost family were invited to see the film before it was released to the public.
The final findings of a government inquiry into the fire are set to be released later this year. The initial recommendations for fire safety in similar buildings to Grenfell Tower have not yet been implemented. A criminal investigation is ongoing.
