The Women of Pike River tells the stories of six women - Anna Osbourne, Nan Dixon, Kath Monk, Olivia Monk, Sonya Rockhouse and Brenda Rackley - who were deeply affected by the West Coast mining tragedy that claimed the lives of 29 men on 19 November 2010.

The Greenstone TV production was more than two years in the making and director Mary Durham says it is confronting.

“These women each lost someone very dear to them. Their husbands, partners, sons and brothers would still be alive today were it not for Pike River Coal’s complete failure to follow basic work safety standards. Understandably, they have a lot of questions and a lot of emotion. 

They tell us much about the tragedy that we haven’t heard before – from the men’s concerns about working in the mine to how the families were treated in the days following the first explosion when authorities were talking of a rescue.”

The Women of Pike River follows the women on a four year journey as they fight for justice, accountability and re-entry into the mine. The film will premiere at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch on Saturday, 15 August 2015 and will be followed by a Q&A session after the film.

Tickets for the Christchurch NZIFF will be on sale from Friday 17 July. See the Ticketing Info page for details.