It Takes your Breath Away

The ‘Black Country’ is an area in the Midlands of the UK which got its name in the Industrial Revolution when everything was covered in soot. It Takes Your Breath Away scrutinises the lack of urgency from the government of the time in rectifying areas like these, where the air is thick with soot.

The film captures landscapes covered in thick, black soot, including an image of St Pauls, playing fields, and the external windowsills of houses located in a so-called ‘black town’. The Voice over reminds viewers of the health, and the economic effects of soot, suggesting that soot is resulting in an additional 25 million in laundry costs each year.

The film also introduces air pollution as an issue of class, showing that money buys distance from this issue. It focuses on bronchitis cases, showing us examples of healthy and unhealthy lung tissue while telling us the illness is five times more likely to be contracted by the working class. The film ends with a declarative indictment: people need clean air.