Grenfell: Uncovered's Olaide Sadiq – "I wanted to honour the victims but also make people angry"

Having helmed one of the most acclaimed documentaries of the year, director Olaide Sadiq remains humble and smiling as she beams about the "nice surprise" of being named one of the BAFTA Breakthroughs for 2025 (an initiative supported by Netflix).

When we speak, Grenfell: Uncovered has just bagged a Rose d'Or nomination – testament to Sadiq's hard work on a production that became so much more.

While some people around Sadiq have questioned why she was so surprised at the accolade, she reflects on the fact that the industry has seen some "amazing projects" in the past year with "a lot of great people". It's also a privilege, she tells me, to be part of a cohort of people that has seen the likes of Adjani Salmon and Letitia Wright grace the lists, both of whom Sadiq personally admires.

"It's weird to be amongst them... but I feel very grateful that I'm recognised in that same way," she says. It must feel like a strange whirlwind of a year in general, I remark to Sadiq, with it now marking just over five months since the release of Grenfell: Uncovered.

The Netflix documentary was Sadiq's directorial debut and was one that, surprisingly, Sadiq says she thought may be a "very quiet debut" – in reality, it was anything but. The response to the film was heartwarming, Sadiq says, admitting: "I feel like it got a much bigger response than I was anticipating."

Working on the documentary "was way more than a job", adding that "it became a massive responsibility, one I'm really proud that I was able to handle". Whilst directing it has continued to put her further into the industry spotlight, Sadiq wastes no time in underlining the true importance of the production – saying that she's just glad the affected community of Grenfell has had this kind of recognition.

In the aftermath of the film's release, Sadiq has done the screening circuit, having had various companies (within the housing industry also) reaching out and wanting to include it in journals, talks and in schools. "I wasn't expecting it to affect people in the industry the way it has done, but I'm glad it has done because I feel like when you get to work on documentaries where you can actually see real change taking place afterwards, it's quite rare," she says.

When it came to sitting down and thinking about what route the documentary would take, Sadiq says that she simply wanted it to be balanced. "I wanted to – in a condensed and digestible way – show people what happened, those who might not know the story," she shares.

"I think there's an assumption everyone knows the story, but not actually everyone – even from my family – knew it to the extent that it was shown on the documentary. So that's one aim. But then also to make people angry. I feel like there's a lot to the story that makes me angry and this is someone who didn't live in the building and didn't come from that community."

That feeling of anger that Sadiq gets when thinking about what unfolded on the night of 14th June 2017 was exactly what she wanted people to feel when watching the documentary. "I wanted there to be some sort of anger in the film but not a forced anger, one that people might just feel from hearing people's stories and seeing what people had to deal with. So that was definitely one of the very early aims, but to have revelations in it too."

She adds: "I basically wanted to, first and foremost, honour the victims of Grenfell, but then tell their stories in a way that would enlighten people, would inform people but also make people angry. I thought the combination of that would naturally then – hopefully – lead to conversations where people think about change, people think about impact. We think about what they can do differently, what they did wrong.

"There was lots of different aims and hopes that folded into one project in the end, but it wasn't as clear as 'I just wanted this to be spoken about and have some impact'. That's not something you definitely know is going to happen. That depends on what you've put together and how people feel about it. I wanted the impact to be a byproduct of what the aims were."

While it's now eight years on from the night that claimed 72 victims, Grenfell remains a pertinent issue, not least because nobody has ever been charged over the national tragedy. But also due to the looming reality of the tower itself being taken down.

Sadiq may have stepped up to the job of being the director of Grenfell: Uncovered but with that role must come a certain expectation from viewers, I suggest. Stepping into a position of authority around any topic would naturally feel daunting for anyone, but it's a fact that Sadiq has taken in her stride.

"I think the weight of responsibility following Grenfell: Uncovered has been difficult, but I don't mind it. I don't mind being seen in that way. I also have to manage people's expectations that I'm not a fire expert, I'm not a housing expert, I'm not a planning expert either, I'm not a regulation expert.

"There's so much about Grenfell I learned along the way before ever working on it, but also whilst working on it. There's still a lot for all of us to still learn about it. So I recognise that I become someone who people will come to with these issues or these stories," she says.

When the documentary was released back in June, Sadiq went from hardly ever really using LinkedIn to it being a platform that was exploding for her, with hundreds of messages flooding her inbox. A couple of people from the industry used LinkedIn to message her, but that steady stream of messages came from people all over, sharing their own personal stories.

Whether it was telling Sadiq of a fire that happened in the '70s or regulation issues they were having with the council about their buildings, Sadiq said she felt "a responsibility to ensure that eventually I responded to everyone".

"I didn't want to be someone who's worked on something that has now had the impact that we wanted it to have, but then ignore the impact," she says.

Prior to working on Grenfell: Uncovered, Sadiq had made a name for herself as a producer in the TV industry, having worked on productions like Ambulance, 999: What’s Your Emergency, Ibiza Weekender, The Final: Attack on Wembley and Boybands Forever, as well as episodes of the Louis Theroux Interviews… series.

"I realised as a first-time director that everything matters," she tells me. While Sadiq has always known that the story and people matter the most in documentary-making, she wasn't aware of just how much aspects like music, graphics and a location can be vital to a production.

Having worked on documentaries about a range of topics, Sadiq says her mixed career background has led her to have a varied mindset when it comes to tackling different problems.

"I feel like lots of different experiences I've had in the past came to the forefront of Grenfell: Uncovered. I'd worked on emergency programmes and blue light shows which are extremely traumatic and have a lot of compliance issues, a lot of sensitive filming, sensitive contributors. I felt like I'd done that a lot in the past and I was very comfortable with revisiting that space because I knew what it involved."

Her work in the past involved "filming with institutions, politicians, or companies and individuals that are quite hard to access or engage with", so it all proved to be invaluable experience when it came to conducting Grenfell: Uncovered interviews with survivors, the bereaved and even former prime minister Theresa May.

Sadiq continues to honour the people at the heart of the story in her work, it's clear. But in a TV landscape that often feels as though it may be regressing in terms of the stories and people it platforms, how do you remain committed to ethical, character-driven storytelling?

It's all about sticking to her guns and personal morals, she tells me. "I have to see a purpose with the project and if I struggle to see the purpose then maybe that's answered my question a little bit. I feel like obviously, in this true crime space especially, a lot is being made. There are a lot of opinions about true crime and I understand people feel like it might be gratuitous, or it might feel like, 'Why are you just revisiting something dark?'

"I feel like there can be purpose to revisiting something dark when you think about the bigger picture, you think about the wider impact. Some people call Grenfell: Uncovered a true crime. To this point, we can't say it's a crime yet because there haven't been any criminal charges."

She continues: "But the proof was in the pudding of why we went back because there was still a story to be told, there's still people who want their voices to be heard. I feel like as long as that feels like it's central to any project where there's a genuine purpose for the people involved and for the story platform, then I think that's how I stay committed to doing it. I'm not afraid to speak up and speak out on things I'm not sure about; ask questions, raise concerns. I think that's how I stay committed."

Sadiq says that funnily enough, she was asked a few years ago about the possibility of directing. At the time, Sadiq thinks she wasn't even a producer yet and she'd been asked what she'd want to make a documentary about one day.

"I said that I would love to make something that has a very big social impact, maybe something about Grenfell. It was a passing conversation but that was probably one of the few things that I had a clear answer for because most of the time, I have no idea what I'm doing," she smiles.

Coming off a directorial debut like Grenfell: Uncovered must also come with its own set of challenges, I offer, especially in regards to taking on the 'right next role'. "It's been really hard," she admits. "Actually, navigating afterwards has been hard because there's been so many comments and questions about what's next. I think there's an expectation of, 'Oh, that's the thing you do now – you do these big social justice stories'."

Her CV is a testament to the range of topics, stories and people she's interested in shining a light on, which continues to make Sadiq open-minded about what's to come next.

"I don't really want to be pigeonholed into doing one thing and it's very easy for that to happen. Why does that have to be my one thing? I can do loads of things. But I'm trying not to overthink the next step as much," she says.

More often than ever before, factual and fictional continue to bleed into one another in the TV realm, with factual dramas becoming regular hits for broadcasters and streamers alike. So, could Sadiq envision a future that includes a step over to the world of scripted television perhaps?

"I've always loved scripted, it's what I watch the most. When I was younger, I used to do a lot of creative writing, used to write lots of stories. I definitely felt like that's somewhere I'd be interested in going. I think that documentary was more of a natural calling to me and I think over time, especially when you work in documentaries and factual programmes, you do think, 'Oh, this could be a really good drama'."

Sadiq recalls various screenings of Grenfell: Uncovered where viewers told her that it was a very hard watch, with some saying the documentary felt akin to a gut punch. "I feel like there's something quite unique about factual drama... documenting something without overwhelming people in the same way that documentaries sometimes can," she says.

We speak about the way that Netflix's Toxic Town shone a light on a real-life scandal that many people didn't know anything about prior to watching. It was a series that lingered with Sadiq and prompted her to get into a research wormhole of her own about the Corby toxic waste case. Drama can still have a similar impact to a documentary, Sadiq says, and if things were to align in that way in the future, it's a genre that she'd love to try working in.

As for the industry itself, I can imagine that the "weight of responsibility" that Sadiq experienced with Grenfell: Uncovered also filtered into the decision-making that went into ensuring there was ample diversity behind the scenes of the production as well.

"I think when I first started in TV, I was very aware of the lack of diversity, not just with race but also with class. I always felt like once I got to a position where I could have that influence, I wanted to make sure I was using that privilege that I had. I feel like it's really hard with television, particularly. It's an issue that people just don't always like to embrace that exists," she states.

"I definitely felt like with Grenfell, there was an expectation from other people in the industry that, 'Oh, you've got make sure that everyone you hire is Black'. I feel like that isn't always the goal, because also, it's not realistic. I think I'm very realistic. I'm not an executive producer, I'm not a commissioner. Those are the roles that hold, I think, the most power in the industry.

"I wanted to make sure that I saw different faces, different backgrounds, different cultures within my team because I feel like it has to reflect not just what we're making, but also reflect who's going to watch it. I feel sometimes it gets forgotten that we're not making TV for our peers, we're making it for the general public."

She adds: "We come from all walks of life, all creeds, all colours, all races. I feel like if the industry becomes more in tune with that, I think it will definitely benefit the projects that we end up seeing. I did feel when stepping into a director role, I also had a responsibility to ensure that I was practising what I preach."

In terms of those conversations around the intersections of race and class within the TV industry, Sadiq isn't sure whether the tides are changing. Like many can attest to in various industries, there was a real spike in 2020 but Sadiq has noticed a decline in recent years.

"I don't think people want to be put in roles and feeling like they're just ticking a box, that's really important to say. I feel like sometimes people think, 'Just put them somewhere!' and then you've done your job. I don't think people want to feel that way because people do feel it – I know when I've been called about something because I'm Black. I don't want to be called about something just because I'm Black, I also want to be called because you think I'm good enough for the job."

Sadiq says that over the years, she's had to be strict with herself and passed on opportunities that she felt she was only being approached for in a box-ticking capacity.

"I just want people to have a shared care about the direction that the industry is going in when it comes to diversity in all its forms. I don't always think people are ready to have that conversation or want to have that conversation, but I feel like it's an important conversation to have. If everyone comes from the same background, has the same interests, has had the same schooling, lives in the same area of London, whatever it may be, you're just going to keep getting the same output."

Having just spent the past half-hour aware of the fact that Sadiq is being seen as a beacon of information for everything Grenfell-related, it feels slightly redundant to wrap up our interview asking about how we continue the conversation around the national tragedy after the release of the documentary.

Sadiq tells me of a friend who, just the other week, had watched the film and asked her the exact same thing. "What can I do?" is the question left at the forefront of many people's minds after watching and it's a good question to ask, the director reassures me.

"What I've taken from being in that community and meeting all those people is what they want is for people to not stop talking about Grenfell. It's a community that is worried that their story is being erased long before any justice has been delivered and they're feeling that, in a very literal sense, with the building being demolished," Sadiq tells me.

"They feel like once people can't see it anymore, they're going to forget about it. They feel like people only talk about it once a year, sometimes twice a year. I think what people can do is keep reading up about it, keep being engaged with it, keep resharing what they're putting out, keep engaging with the community, keep going to silent walks, keep showing up for the story."

She adds: "If we say we care, then we have to show we care. I think that's what people can do at the very bare minimum – that's something that the victims, the bereaved and the wider community would be very grateful for."

Grenfell: Uncovered is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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