Synopis

Roof Of Slate

For generations, slate mining was deeply interwoven with peoples lives in the North Welsh villages. With the decline of the mining industry, the structure of the region is changing drastically. Underground footage shot by former miner, Glyn Davies, shows a world than no longer exists. Work in the mines was hard, but it gave the region a purpose and an identity. Today, what’s left is tourism. With reluctance, the original Welsh population observes the influx of English people seeking weekend cottages.

Slate was the lifeblood of Blaenau Ffestiniog and its Llechwedd Quarry, but its dust can be deadly, with a painful legacy for family and society. This landmark drama was the first Welsh language ‘talkie’, and toured Wales to great acclaim in the 1930s. It portrays the quarryman's life in Blaenau Ffestiniog - work, home, chapel and courtship - and highlights the importance of education to the younger generation, revealing the hardships and tough choices that were part and parcel of life in such a society, alongside its cultural vibrancy and community spirit. This version of Y Chwarelwr is a joint restoration by the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive and Cwmni Da, who used local and professional actors to recreate the film's missing fourth reel from the surviving script by John Ellis Williams, and recorded a new soundtrack for the film.