KEN LOACH

It is a pleasure to present a film selected by the uncompromising and talented Ken Loach, the most politically committed of British filmmakers, highly regarded as an accomplished narrator, whose films exude a rare combination of authenticity, sincerity and poetry. Loach has been described as more of a political activist than film director. He is renowned for his naturalistic, social realist style of direction in aid of highlighting and advocating for contemporary social issues.

A multi-award winning director Ken Loach has been able to successfully blend mainstream Hollywood conventions to radical political ends (Kes, Land and Freedom, My Name is Joe, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Looking for Eric). 

His films were both nominated and winners of a host of prizes at the Cannes Film Festival during the 90's including Hidden Agenda, Raining Stones, Land and Freedom and My Name Is Joe. In 2005 he co-directed the docu-drama McLibel and in 2006 won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

Ken Loach was born in Warwickshire England in 1936. Whilst reading law at St Peter’s College in Oxford, Loach performed in the comedy group the Oxford Revue which led him into acting in theatre. It wasn’t until the 1960s that he made the move to television direction working on episodes of Z-Cars in 1964. Loach’s penchant for highlighting issues of social injustice began with his 1966 docu-drama, Cathy Come Home, which critiqued the English Social Services system through the story of working class people affected by homelessness and unemployment. In 1969 Loach moved into cinematic direction with the movie, Kes, based on the novel, A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. In 1999 the film was dubbed number seven on the list of best British films of the twentieth century by the British Film Institute.

His choice is a wonderful, affecting film, with a relevant message, consistent with his own perspective and one that Pedro Almodóvar would have liked to choose himself for our program. 

 

FILMOGRAPHY

- Route Irish (2010)

- Looking for Eric (2009)

- It's a Free World...(2007)

- To Each His Own Cinema (2007)

- The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)

- McLibel (documentary) (2005)

- Tickets (2005)

- Ae Fond Kiss... (2004)

- Eleven Minutes, Nine Seconds, One Image: September 11 (2002)

- Sweet Sixteen (2002)

- The Navigators (2001)

- Bread and Roses (2000)

- The Fickering Flame (documentary) (1998)

- My Name is Joe (1998)

- Carla's Song (1996)

- Land and Freedom (1995)

- A Contemporary Case for Common Ownership (documentary short) (1995)

- Ladybird Ladybird (1994)

- Raining Stones (1993)

- Riff-Raff (1991)

- Hidden Agenda (1990)

- The View From the Woodpile (TV documentary) (1989)

- Fatherland (1986)

- Which Side Are You On? (1985)

- The Red and the Blue: Impressions of Two Political Conferences – Autumn 1982 (TV documentary) (1983)

- Questions of Leadership (TV documentary) (1983)

- Looks and Smiles (1981)

- A Question of Leadership (TV documentary) (1981)

- Auditions (TV documentary) (1980)

- The Gamekeeper (1980)

- Black Jack (1979)

- Play for Today (TV series) (1971-77)

- Days of Hope (TV mini-series) (1975)

- A Misfortune (1973)

- Full House (TV series) (1973)

- Family Life (1971)

- ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV series) (1971)

- The Save the Children Fund Film (1971)

- Kes (1969)

- The Wednesday Play (TV series) (1980)

- Poor Cow (1967)

- Diary of a Young Man (TV series) (1964)

- Z Cars (TV series) (1964)

- Teletale (TV series) (1964)