An important chapter in British cinematic history is set to conclude this week. The celebrated director Ken Loach, champion of the working class via masterpieces including Kes and I, Daniel Blake, is set to deliver his final movie with The Old Oak.
It promises to cap off a singular career, from a filmmaker who has never lost the fire in his belly despite his advancing years. Loach's movies have always excelled at generating outrage and momentum via their compassionate focus on those who have been marginalised and neglected by political and economic circumstances.
The Old Oak is no different. Scripted by Loach regular Paul Laverty, it tells the story of a Syrian refugee family setting up a new home in a northern town where the local pub, once the proud and mighty emblem of the area, is set to shut down. Issues of integration and identity come to the forefront as the local community confronts its inherent prejudices while the newcomers discover the remarkable history lurking within the ailing building's walls.
Typically for Loach, the movie has its finger on the pulse of contemporary Britain, lacing its insights with down-to-earth humour and warmth. Go behind the scenes in the following extracts to discover the multifaceted legacy of Loach's career and why The Old Oak is representative of his ideology.
Click the link below to book your tickets for The Old Oak. It opens at Cineworld on September 29th.