Steel mill closings explored in new documentary

Documentary filmmaker Steven Walsh at Big Marsh Park, 11559 S. Stony Island Ave. The park sits on a former industrial site. Walsh’s new documentary looks at the impact the decline of the steel industry had on the area, which is where he grew up. (Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times)

When Steven Walsh began filming his grandfather playing guitar, it was just to preserve his songs.

When he finished, he had an account of how the rise and decline of Chicago’s steel industry shaped his family and the Southeast Side.