A Sheffield cinema is screening a 1980’s documentary about the residents of the Manor are of the city for the first time on the big screen.
Showroom cinema are hosting a special screening of the 1987 film ‘On The Manor’ next Thursday for its 35th anniversary.
The film, which originally aired on Yorkshire Television, follows the lives of several Manor residents dealing with the high unemployment rates in the area.
Ryan Finnigan, Programming Assistant at Showroom Cinemas, said: “I watched it and thought it was amazing.
“I was a bit surprised by how relevant it is to today as well, the themes, particularly the political themes. It didn’t really feel 35 years old to me.”
Showroom has worked with Yorkshire and North East Film Archive to bring the footage to public viewing as part of the TV Time Machine scheme, which works with the BFI Film Hub North and The National Lottery Fund to support northern cinema.
Councillors from east Sheffield are expected to attend the event, which features an open Q&A and discussion after the screening.
The organisers have also been tracking down people who featured in the documentary to invite them.
Brent Woods, Archive Director at YaNEFA, brought the idea to the Showroom and has been working closely with them to find the residents who star in the film and their families.
Mr Woods said: “It’s been a real joy just to make contact with some of these people that you only know from their lives in 1987 and to find out what happened next.
“We didn’t want it just to be a screening. We wanted to try and see what we could do around connecting to people that live in Manor today.”
The film shows a time of high unemployment across Sheffield following the collapse of the steel industry and offers an insight into the lives of people at the time.
Mr Finnigan said: “It’s a connection to your heritage, it’s a connection to the past.
“With it having such relevant themes to now, one of the things I was thinking while watching the film was how have we changed since then and if we haven’t why not.”
While the event is set to be a one off Mr Finnigan is hopeful strong ticket sales may allow future screenings.
The showing takes place on 1 December and tickets are available here.
