This film is part of Free
Spelga Dam
A concrete reason to give a dam about water supplies in Northern Ireland, in the heart of the picturesque Mourne Mountains
Overview
Even if you can tell your Silurian greywacke from your Mourne granite, this epic dam building project in Northern Ireland is still a mighty feat. John Laing & Son were the company behind some of the biggest construction projects of the 20th century, from motorways and power stations to cathedrals. Luckily for civil engineering fans, they were keen to document and promote their work on film through a well-resourced unit in their PR department.
This two and a half year project high in the Mourne Mountains was typical of the remote civil engineering projects John Laing & Son undertook. Necessary, perhaps, but an incursion into nature that rarely runs smoothly. Unsurprisingly, the film glosses over problems that occurred when a misjudgement of the true level of the bedrock caused the first concrete pour to sink. But the dam still stands, and the reservoir remains an important part of the water supply to the area.
Related
Credo Credo
1978 23 mins
Blood on the Streets. Bengali youth fight back against racism and the National Front after the death of Altab Ali.
H Block Hunger Strike H Block Hunger Strike
Documentary 1980 33 mins Location: Belfast
An unflinching look at the experience of the 1980 H Block hunger strikers and the potentially stark consequences of their actions.
Jamaica Street Glasgow (1901) Jamaica Street Glasgow (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 3 mins Silent Location: Glasgow
A flood of pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic in Edwardian Glasgow.
Witham to Maldon East Witham to Maldon East
Amateur film 1957 13 mins Silent Location: Witham
Dusty the dog enjoys scenic views of the Essex countryside from the carriage of a passenger train, journeying with amateur filmmaker Chib Thorp.
Connah's Quay Carnival and Fete 1965 Connah's Quay Carnival and Fete 1965
Amateur film 1965 14 mins Silent Location: Connah's Quay
The Connah's Quay Old People's Association demonstrates that it's not just the young that are embued with carnival spirit.
It's No Joke Living in Barnsley It's No Joke Living in Barnsley
Lifestyle show 1976 26 mins Location: Barnsley
Barnsley-born actor Brian Glover returns to his Yorkshire hometown in this RTS-winning portrait of 1970s working-class northern life.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.
The Ice Tower - Extended Q&A The Ice Tower - Extended Q&A
Inside Film 2026 36 mins
Writer-director Lucile Hadžihalilović explains how she spun her own dark fairytale out of Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen.