'People will be disturbed' McQueen's Grenfell film part of a push for justice

The Oscar-winning film director Steve McQueen is to finally show his unflinching film of the burned out ruin of Grenfell Tower which he hopes will help the push for justice ahead of the sixth anniversary of the disaster.

- Robert Booth

The 24-minute fi lm, Grenfell , was shot from a helicopter in December 2017 just before the charred tower was wrapped in white plastic. Without words or music, McQueen’s camera relentlessly circles the council block often at close quarters bringing viewers into rooms where people died as white- clad forensic investigators sift through evidence.

The project, which has involved extensive consultation with the bereaved, survivors and neighbours, comes as the community still awaits the fi ndings of the public inquiry which started almost fi ve years ago.

“You must understand that the violence that was infl icted on that community was no joke,” McQueen told the Guardian in an exclusive interview before it is exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery from 7 April to 10 May. “And I didn’t want to let people off the hook. There are going to be people who are going to be a little bit disturbed. When you make art, anything half decent there are certain people you will possibly off end. But that is how it is.”

The film can be harrowing. Its repetitive contemplation of the burned out block simmers with unspoken rage. It is also a politically-charged reminder of the extreme destruction that still sits within the shrouded block while no person or firm has been punished for their role in the 72 deaths.