Grenfell: Uncovered: The road to safer buildings
Isabelle Crow
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Olaide Sadiq, Director of Grenfell: Uncovered, discusses trauma, trust, institutional silence and why real accountability requires more than inquiry transcripts and policy revisions
Olaide had only just begun working in television when the Grenfell Tower fire took place in June 2017.
In the years that followed, she built a career in factual documentary-making, producing films on subjects ranging from emergency services to mental health and working closely with individuals affected by trauma.
Her personal and professional connection to the Grenfell story deepened over time.
She grew up in a building much like the tower and knew someone who died in the fire, though she prefers not to make that the focus.
As Sadiq followed developments from a distance – through the inquiry, the headlines and a theatre production she saw just months before joining the project – the idea of telling this story began to take shape.
Speaking exclusively with International Fire and Safety Journal, Olaide reflects on why she chose to tell the story, how she approached traumatised residents and reluctant corporations alike and what the film has meant for those working in fire safety and construction.
When you first took on the project, what aim did you set for the film?
I wanted to tell the story of what happened and how it happened. The “why” is harder to say outright, but I wanted to allude to it as well.
The aim was to explore those things while keeping the victims and survivors central.
Sometimes that can feel like it’s been done or risks becoming a victim impact film. But I felt there was a way to make something powerful without losing the heart of it.
I wanted people who might not know the story to understand what happened and how.
That meant digging into the inquiry, speaking with experts, and going a bit deeper. But because it was for Netflix, I knew it had to be digestible.
We didn’t want too much jargon. We wanted to tell it in its simplest form, so that someone – expert or not, adult or child – could take something away from it. That’s what we set out to do.
How did you navigate trust with survivors and resistance from authorities?
I approached everyone with the same care, whether survivor, corporate figure, or emergency worker. At Grenfell, trauma shaped every conversation – some spoke for others, some stayed silent.
We never assumed people would talk. Trust began with informal chats, making clear there was no expectation.
Only if they felt comfortable did interviews follow. Patience, empathy and time helped us understand survivors, lobbyists, lawyers and officials.
Listening on their terms, rather than ours, was what opened the door.
The film shows the ‘stay-put’ policy failing in real time. Where do you see the biggest gap between regulation on paper and practice on site today?
What surprised me most was the number of previous fires. Some I knew about, but a lot still shocked me. As a team, we split the research and regularly shared what we were finding.
To look at missed opportunities and ignored warnings, we had to look at earlier fires similar to Grenfell. I hadn’t realised how many there were.
We didn’t go back as far as we could have, but cladding and external material fires have been happening for years – even decades.
Olaide Sadiq
What struck me was: if there are so many examples of compartmentation not working, and of dangerous materials being used, why does it take multiple incidents before action is taken?
It felt like nothing was ever considered bad enough or big enough to act on. That really shocked me.
I didn’t even know about the Lakanal House fire until my mum mentioned it when I got this job.
She said there’d been a fire in Camberwell. I initially grew up in Bermondsey, which was nearby, but I didn’t remember it as we had moved by then.
Then I looked at the archive and saw how flawed the response had been. I thought: “This is awful,” and then realised it had happened again.
That really hit me. There were so many missed opportunities. The scale of building fires, and how serious they are – not just in the UK, but globally – really stood out.
I know the stay-put policy is complicated. I’m not trying to be overly critical. But what came through in the research was how often systems had clearly failed – and how little had changed.
Industry reaction has been intense, especially around fire-test manipulation and slow remediation. Which response has struck you most?
What’s resonated with me most is how open people have been.
We were preparing for a lot of criticism. When you make a documentary about something this big, you expect people to say: “That’s wrong,” or: “That’s inaccurate.”
But instead, many people said: “This is right,” or: “We’ve got work to do.” I didn’t expect that. That really struck me.
I’ve seen posts on LinkedIn and in articles from people working in regulations, fire safety, policy – all saying: “Something needs to change,” or: “This made me reflect.” That was more than I expected. It was huge.
Olaide Sadiq
There’s also been an emotional response. A lot of people connected with the families, the story, the community. So many said they felt heartbroken.
That reaction has been overwhelming, but also reassuring to see.
What really surprised me, though, was the industry response. It was more accepting than I expected. I thought there’d be more pushback.
Instead, there’s been acknowledgement, and people saying: “We need to change.” That honesty and self-reflection – that’s what’s stayed with me.
Some viewers say the documentary has already changed how they train staff. How does that kind of reaction feel?
It makes me feel really proud of the team. Everyone who took part in the film can feel proud that, through our collaboration, we’ve had real-world impact.
Olaide Sadiq
It’s rare in your TV career to work on something that sparks change or drives real conversation. A lot of documentaries are light-hearted because people need relief at the end of the day.
So when you work on something like this, it’s hard. It takes its toll. It’s physically and emotionally demanding, and there’s a huge responsibility in telling a story like Grenfell.
You question a lot throughout the process. But then you hear people say: “We’re changing some rules,” or: “We’re going to show this to staff or new starters,” and it’s like – wow. That’s huge.
Just yesterday, I got a message from a big housing association in Wales. They’d posted on LinkedIn saying they were going to show the documentary to thousands of staff and wanted our team involved.
I haven’t even replied yet – I was just so surprised to get that kind of message. I thought: “That’s amazing.”
The response has been incredible. It’s heartwarming to see it having that kind of impact.
With investigations ongoing, what does meaningful accountability look like in your view?
That’s a tricky one. You hear the word “accountability” a lot – and rightly so – but what that really looks like is complicated. It’s not as simple as: “There he is, arrest him.”
I think people wish it were. But with Grenfell, what makes it so shocking – and so complex – is how many people, companies and institutions were involved.
How you get justice from that, I don’t know. I’ve never come across anything else with that many layers. It’s incredibly difficult to reach a clear point of accountability.
For a lot of people, accountability would be the government stepping up and saying: “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
Olaide Sadiq
But right now, it feels like things are being skirted around. People don’t see bold action – like stopping companies from operating, or taking responsibility.
Many companies haven’t faced any consequences. What we showed in the film – based on inquiry documents and public statements – was blatant.
The wrongdoing was obvious. It makes you think: how is this possible? How has no one been arrested?
It’s been eight years. When people ask what accountability looks like, I don’t know. I wish I did. I try to give the police the benefit of the doubt.
But we only showed a fraction of what we found. We know these things happened. The information is out there. It’s hard to understand why there’s still no action.
Finally, what would you like every fire-safety professional reading this to do differently after watching the film?
Pay closer attention to the guidance you’re following.
Sometimes, and this is just my assumption, especially with deadlines, things aren’t checked properly. Bodies aren’t held accountable. Things fall to the wayside.
What I want – not just from the fire sector but across the built environment – is for people to keep going. We spoke to so many people trying to push for change.
Don’t get discouraged. It’s a big responsibility. And a lot of people were moved that we showed there are people trying.
So keep pushing. Hold MPs to account – that’s what they’re there for. And if you’re involved in policy, or helping with it in any way, pay close attention to how it’s being applied.
Olaide Sadiq
Make sure the policies are showing up in real-world projects.
Because a lot of buildings have materials on them that shouldn’t be there. That tells us it wasn’t just Grenfell that slipped through the net – it was many buildings.
You have to ask: how did that happen? We’re not talking about one building. We’re talking about thousands. I don’t know whose fault it is – but there’s definitely fault somewhere.