Loach’s best known film, it tells the story of a working-class boy, Billy Caspar, and his affectionate relationship with his kestrel, which provides an escape from the drudgery of a school he has no interest in. Ken Loach was born in 1936 in Nuneaton. Yet when it comes to a wide range of social,… Continue Reading → Kenneth Charles Loach is a slightly built and softly spoken Oxford University law graduate. SHOOT IN SEQUENCE. The Wednesday Play series was soon followed by Kes (1969). In space, no one can hear you get all the answers wrong. A director who is as much political activist as filmmaker, who makes arthouse cinema but is a mainstream name? Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is an English filmmaker. ©2021 British Film Institute. British film director Ken Loach gestures during a photocall for the film "Sorry We Missed You" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2019. While one title can never demonstrate the professional scope of an artist, Cathy Come Home set out Loach’s agenda loud and clear. Loach’s output in the last decade has lacked vitality. While the right-wing media dubs him as ‘madcap, raging film … “Often in films you shoot the last bit first, we start at the beginning, in the … His is a career driven by the need to tell stories of working-class people and by his anger towards exploitative institutions and austerity-loving politicians. Fatherland is something of a forgotten, overlooked film in Ken Loach's body of work. In a cinematic hat trick he released Riff-Raff (1991), followed by Raining Stones (1993) and Ladybird Ladybird (1994). Neither his vast 1983 documentary Questions of Leadership nor Which Side Are You On? The beginning is always a good place to get stuck in. (1985) made it to the air, the latter due to its inclusion of footage of police brutality amid the miner’s strike in a film ostensibly about folk music. News, features and opinion on the world of film. From the earlier BBC plays to the Palme d’Or award winning films, Mr. Loach’s persistence to challenge the political status quo had provoked numerous controversies. 1. The first two left little to the imagination – Loach was furious and took a swipe at the Conservative government who, empowered by Margaret Thatcher, had left the poorest communities desolate, driving people to breaking point. Anthony Hayward's "Which Side Are You On?" Ken Loach, the award winning director of 'Kes', 'Land and Freedom' & 'My Name is Joe', delivers an astonishingly powerful film that won the praise of every critic in the country. Raining Stones in particular asked audiences to readjust their moral compass. Oliver Huitson talks to him about the film, welfare, Thatcher, the unions and the modern Labour party. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Tim Robey and Caitlin Benedict present a start-up guide to Ken Loach The film followed Cathy and Reg, a couple threatened by homelessness due to a series of small but debilitating incidents, culminating with the threat of losing their children — struggles which riveted a BBC viewing public, six million of whom viewed the film on its broadcast night in November ’66. Loach, Rosen and SRtRC were then subjected to an aggressive and abusive campaign both on-line and in print media, making baseless accusations of antisemitism against Ken Loach in particular. New writers were employed to tell stories of ordinary people, and the series became a point of frustration for conservative commentators angered by the show’s liberal agenda, a reaction that Loach has gleefully provoked throughout his career. While one title can never demonstrate the professional scope of an artist, Cathy Come Home set out Loach’s agenda loud and clear. Cathy Come Home was one of a number of episodes of the BBC series The Wednesday Play (later Play for Today), which launched the careers of many of Loach’s contemporaries, including Stephen Frears, Alan Clarke, Mike Newell and Mike Leigh. 'Bread and Roses' (2000) tells the story of the struggle of Los Angeles office cleaners against unfair working practices. You have to be realistic rather than optimistic or pessimistic—Ken Loach, 2008.1 Appearances are often deceptive. If the reviews from this year’s Cannes film festival are anything to go by, his latest film, Sorry We Missed You (2019), hints at a major return to form; its tale of a delivery driver working the gig economy already earning comparisons to Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist classic, Bicycle Thieves (1948). Where to start – Poor Cow & Kes It was working with writers John McGrath and Troy Kennedy-Martin that got Ken Loach into films. How the London locations for Ken Loach’s Riff-Raff have changed since 1991, Kes: in search of the locations for Ken Loach’s classic, ‘At 79, he’s still a rebel’ – Louise Osmond celebrates Ken Loach, Ken Loach on keeping alive The Spirit of ’45, The strangeness in the land: 40 years of Red Shift, the BBC’s classic Play for Today, Rarely seen British political campaigning films released on BFI Player – 10 to try, Edward Anderson , Ros Cranston , Mark Duguid , Lisa Kerrigan , Jez Stewart , Rebecca Vick , Sue Woods. Directed by Ken Loach. Like Liked by 1 person Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Tim Robey and Caitlin Benedict present a start-up guide to Ken Loach. In response to these allegations actor and comedian Steve Coogan said: “His entire career has been to shine a light on the plight of the dispossessed and the disenfranchised. Oxford University knows the truth that Ken Loach hasn’t got an anti Semitic bone in his body so should this witch hunt come to pass and Ken Loach is refused by Oxford it will express without doubt the dire and very dangerous situation certain factions of our society are preparing for this country and its people. The film followed Cathy and Reg, a couple threatened by homelessness due to a series of small but debilitating incidents, culminating with the threat of losing their children — struggles which riveted a BBC viewing public, six million of whom viewed the film on its broadcast night in November ’66. But we start with a man who’s been described as ‘the UK’s foremost political filmmaker’. Read about our approach to external linking. He attended grammar school in Nuneaton and then, after National Service, went to Oxford to study law. May 30, 2014 - Celebrate the unique career of Ken Loach on the occasion of his latest film, Jimmy’s Hall. Loach’s depiction of the realities of homelessness was shocking and played a vital part in a larger conversation about the suffering of people like Cathy (played by Carol White, who also starred in 1967’s Poor Cow, Loach’s nouvelle vague-inspired debut feature). After a brief spell in the theatre, Loach was recruited by the BBC in 1963 as a television director. In this, his 25th solo feature film, the director depicts a world characterised by insecure, short-term employment, without the health and holiday benefits of permanent work but including draconian rules about everything from toilet breaks to insurance. Now, for the first time ever, he needs help from the State. This era was peppered by other great titles, including My Name is Joe (1998) and Sweet Sixteen (2002), both written by long-time collaborator Paul Laverty, and the underappreciated thriller Hidden Agenda (1990), starring Frances McDormand. From collective struggles to personal revolutions, here are images from each one of Ken Loach’s most committed, passionate and highly influential films. 'If there was a revolution it would start in Liverpool' - Ken Loach on how he takes inspiration from Hillsborough campaigners. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (Poor Cow, 1967), homelessness (Cathy Come Home, 1966), and labour rights (Riff-Raff, 1991, and The Navigators, 2001). Looking for The Ken Loach Collection - Volume 1? Surely some mistake. Ken Loach's Palme D'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley offers equally unsubtle cues for anyone who might find the politics of its subject, early-1920s Ireland, a bit confusing. His films, fuelled by an unwavering commitment to left-wing political ideology, can prove divisive, but love him or loathe him, his is a body of work forthright in its commitment to a personal, progressive agenda. Loach first came to the publics attention in the mid-60's with his working class dramas that were broadcast on the BBC's Wednesday Plays strand. For his latest film, Sorry We Missed You, director Ken Loach focuses on the pressures of life working in the gig economy. He crosses paths with single mother Katie who is battling to keep her two young children fed. From acclaimed director Ken Loach, comes this astonishing story of triumph and adversity in modern day Britain. The story of a school boy whose daily existence seems a preparation designed by society to toughen him up for the pit or factory. Loach’s output in the last decade has lacked vitality. How well do you know the opening lines to iconic films? His epic, Trotskyite documentary for the BBC, Days of Hope (1975), covered the emergence of the British labour movement in the first quarter of the century, culminating in a fierce academic debate over cinema’s potential for inspiring real political action. For every fan who’s obsessed with an actor, director or sub-genre, there’s another struggling to know where to start. The 1970s saw Loach working for both television and the big screen. Ken loach. After years in the wilderness, first with Thatcherism, then with New Labour, both the Left and British director Ken Loach are just hitting their prime. How well do you know the films featuring the red planet? His films, fuelled by an unwavering commitment to left-wing political ideology, can prove divisive, but love him or loathe him, his is a body of work forthright in its commitment to a personal, progressive agenda – one littered with some of the most thoughtful films in British cinema. The Wednesday Play series was soon followed by. … Loach’s nouvelle vague-inspired debut feature). His is a career driven by the need to tell stories of working-class people and by his anger towards exploitative institutions and austerity-loving politicians. The 80s proved a tougher period for Loach, in which he faced multiple instances of censorship related to what broadcasters perceived as his political bias. Find out about international touring programmes, BFI Film Academy: opportunities for young creatives, Get funding to progress my creative career, Search the BFI National Archive collections, Read research data and market intelligence, Search for projects funded by National Lottery, Apply for British certification and tax relief, Get help as a new filmmaker and find out about NETWORK, Find out about booking film programmes internationally, Movies inspire a lot of passion, but the back catalogue of film history can be daunting. Test your knowledge here. In 1966, his TV drama Cathy Come Home provoked such a reaction, it led to a change in the homeless laws and the creation of the charity Crisis. In, Watch Which Side Are You On? Where to start with a filmmaker whose work has spanned five decades, across fiction and documentary, film and TV? That’s in the writing, really. A director who is as much political activist as filmmaker, w ho makes arthouse cinema but is a mainstream name? During their collaboration on the TV series Diary of a Young Man (1964) they were talking about how images can subsidy the sound to break the tedious old and linear narrative form that prevailed in the studio-bound television drama of the 60s. An Oxford University college has refused to cancel an event tonight featuring controversial director Ken Loach, despite calls for it to be pulled Jewish community leaders. In Looking for Eric (2009) and The Angels’ Share (2012) the balance between politics and cinema, which was once so perfectly struck, has disintegrated. Registered charity 287780. Loach’s depiction of the realities of homelessness was shocking and played a vital part in a larger conversation about the suffering of people like Cathy (. Or, to listen to the whole Longford Lecture event from start to … Oxford college master apologises to Jewish students after inviting filmmaker Ken Loach to give talk despite anti-Semitism row. His is a career driven by the need to tell stories of working-class people and by his anger towards … He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and went on to study law at St. Peter's Hall, Oxford. Based on the true story of a woman whose children were taken away from her after a tragic accident, it’s a shattering viewing experience, if not one without hope. Set in the estates of Greenock in Scotland, Liam (an astounding debut by Martin Compston) dreams of … . Ladybird Ladybird, arguably Loach’s best film, is led by Crissy Rock in the performance of a lifetime. It’s hard to think of a Ken Loach film that hasn’t been subsidised, one way or another, by the public purse. Sometimes all it takes is the right recommendation to set you on your path from newbie to know-it-all…, Your next obsession: the socially conscious, political cinema of Ken Loach. When he manages to catch, rear and train a Kestrel, he enjoys for a … Songs, Poems and Experiences of the Miners’ Strike, 1984 online on BFI Player, Watch Raining Stones online on BFI Player, Watch Ladybird Ladybird online on BFI Player, Watch I, Daniel Blake online on BFI Player, Watch The Wind that Shakes the Barley online on BFI Player, Watch The Angels’ Share online on BFI Player. The film reaffirmed Loach’s agenda, while dropping the Godardian influence of the earlier films for a more natural style. The beginning is always a good place to get stuck in. A director who is, as much political activist as filmmaker, w. be followed by the word ‘class’. All rights reserved. Daniel Blake has worked as a joiner most of his life in Newcastle. Hand-picked. Sparks fly in Glasgow's south side when a young Asian man … Where to start with Ken Loach. Ken Loach remains one of Britain's best loved, most respected directors. It’s a truism that any mention of Ken Loach will be followed by the word ‘class’. Like father, like son: Ken and Jim Loach on filmmaking, grief and the problem with Keir Starmer. He has a fierce love for his characters and has coaxed some unforgettable performances from his (often unknown) acting talent, displaying a gift for the kind of gentle humour that leavens his tough subjects. Ken Loach I think the big division was 1979 or 1980, when Margaret Thatcher came to power — that’s 36 years ago. With Atta Yaqub, Eva Birthistle, Ahmad Riaz, Shamshad Akhtar. Where to start with a filmmaker whose work has spanned five decades, across fiction and documentary, film and TV? Ken Loach's documentaries tend to be overlooked in accounts of his career, but taken as a whole, they have been at least as contentious as his more visible film and television dramas. For the past half-century, British film-maker Kenneth Charles Loach has been making films that showcase the political and social experiences of the working class. is a look at the life and work of veteran British film-maker Ken Loach. I’ve worked … And while Loach and Laverty would undoubtedly argue that the film offers counterexamples to the grotesque depictions of working-class people on modern-day TV, the film feels patronising and at odds with the majority of his work. His most recent release, I, Daniel Blake (2016), was critically lauded — and indeed won Loach a BAFTA and his second Palme D’Or, following a first for The Wind that Shakes the Barley a decade earlier — but it’s a film that demonstrates an increasing lack of faith in his viewers. Bruce Jones shines as the father brought to his knees by his need to buy a dress for his daughter’s communion – an opportunity for Loach to go after the church, another institution of which he is highly critical. Before that, after the Second World … His characters are put through the ringer, only to emerge as moral saints with their sense of humour still intact, as if that were the only way an audience could feel compassion. The latest releases, the hottest stars and the leading directors, plus news and insights. Possibly one of the most beautiful movies of all time. New writers were employed to tell stories of ordinary people, and the series became a point of frustration for conservative commentators angered by the show’s liberal agenda, a reaction that Loach has gleefully provoked throughout his career. Can you figure out the scary film's name from just a brief description of a famous scene? Well, nearly the beginning. The film may wear its politics on its sleeve, but it’s just as willing to critique the failures of the liberal agenda as it is Conservative policy. Loach’s best known film, it tells the story of a working-class boy, Billy Caspar, and his affectionate relationship with his kestrel, which provides an escape from the drudgery of a school he has no interest in. The film reaffirmed Loach’s agenda, while dropping the Godardian influence of the earlier films for a more natural style. Find the epic part of even the smallest story. To watch edited highlights of the lecture, focussing on the sections where Ken Loach talks about youth justice and prisons, click on our Frank Talk version above. Ken Loach is sitting next to Eric Cantona in the directors' box at Old Trafford for Manchester United's Champions League match with Roma. Ken Loach has been using film to explore themes of class, conflict, and social change for over 50 years. It’s a truism that any mention of Ken Loach will be followed by the word ‘class’. Ken Loach’s new film, Spirit of ’45, is an impassioned account of the unity that built the post-war welfare state, contrasted with the dismantling we are witnessing today. The couple start a family, but Maggie's past history with the social services causes problems as it means that their newborn baby is in danger of being taken away. Subscribe now for exclusive offers and the best of cinema. Kes. Ken Loach's study of the impact of rail privatisation on a group of Yorkshire rail track workers comes to DVD while the process of dismantling Railtrack is in the news. Heartbreaking and deeply compassionate, the film signalled the beginning of something special: a new voice in British cinema that would empathetically, and inseparably, fuse the political to the personal. Ken Loach was born in Nuneaton in 1936. He has a fierce love for his characters and has coaxed some unforgettable performances from his (often unknown) acting talent, displaying a gift for the kind of gentle humour that leavens his tough subjects. was one of a number of episodes of the BBC series The Wednesday Play (later Play for Today), which launched the careers of many of Loach’s contemporaries, including Stephen Frears, Alan Clarke, Mike Newell and Mike Leigh. Where to start with a filmmaker whose work has spanned five decades, across fiction and documentary, film and TV? The tides turned in the 90s, as Loach delivered a series of cinematic gut punches borne out of the political turmoil of late 80s Britain and the surge in available funds from the new (and on-side) broadcaster Channel 4. To read a transcript of Ken Loach’s lecture, click on the link above. 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